A Business Affair
by silver-etoile
Summary: COMPLETE. Harry is married and happy. Well... not happy, but he gets by. Several years after Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy makes a sudden reappearance in his life and the results are disasterous. HD SLASH
1. A Business Affair

_Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I do not own Harry Potter and/or any other characters used in this fic. They are all property of J.K. Rowling._

_A/N: A big thanks to my betas, Masochistic Angel and reluctantshipper. Also, this fic is being posted for my one-year HD fic writing anniversary. :tosses confetti:_

OoOoO

"And don't forget the milk, Harry!"

"Yes, Ginny," Harry replied with a sigh. He crossed the living room of their flat and picked up his jacket from the coat rack by the door. He pulled it slowly on and left the apartment.

He walked down the stairs from the third floor until he reached the street beyond. Harry hadn't really intended to go shopping, but his lovely wife had insisted.

Harry fiddled idly with the golden band on his finger as he walked through the streets of London. He came to the local grocery store and went inside. The grocer greeted him cheerfully. It was a Muggle store, but Harry liked it well enough.

He wandered down the aisles, looking for the specified milk. As he walked aimlessly through the store, he reflected on his life. He'd never thought that this was how it would turn out.

He'd always imagined that after killing Voldemort he would somehow have a great life, that everything would just fall into place. Sure, he'd thought this was what he wanted, but did he really?

He'd killed Voldemort after his sixth year at Hogwarts. He'd gone back to finish his schooling, but it hadn't felt right. After graduating, he had proposed to Ginny. They had gotten back together after the war and Harry had thought they were perfect again.

They'd been married after a few years back together. And now, two years after they'd gotten married, Harry was only 23 but felt as though he was 50.

As Harry walked down the breakfast aisle, his gaze fell on the chocolate syrup. Harry laughed to himself as he wished that, just once, he could use that. Ginny was very conventional when it came to sex; she never wanted to try anything different.

Harry didn't know what was happening to them. He loved Ginny, he just felt like it was all wrong. Lately, she'd become more moody, and they fought more often.

Harry was so distracted by his thoughts that he walked right out of the store without buying anything. He said goodbye to the grocer and took his leave. He went down the street and found himself in the bar close to his home.

To his surprise, he saw Ron sitting at a table near the wall. Harry made his way through the rest of the tables to where he sat.

"Hey Ron, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, sitting down next to him.

"Hey mate, not much really," Ron replied. "Just wasting time until I have to go back to the office."

Ron worked at the ministry now. He hadn't become an Auror but instead had taken up his father's position once he'd left it. He spent most of his time chasing after magically modified Muggle artifacts.

Harry ordered a drink and sat with Ron for a while. Ron looked at his friend seriously, knowing something was wrong.

"Harry, are you okay?" he asked finally.

Harry sighed, hesitant about talking to Ron about his problems, given that Ginny was his sister. Then again, he would understand about her being a bit controlling.

"It's Ginny," Harry said, deciding just to be honest. Ron nodded knowingly.

"Yeah, she can be a bit of a handful sometimes," Ron agreed.

"Tell me about it. Can you think of anything that would make her like this?" Harry asked desperately.

"Not really. She is a girl," Ron said as though that explained it.

"You don't understand anything about women, do you?"

"Nope," Ron said. "That's why_ I'm_ not married."

Harry rolled his eyes. Ron hadn't really dated a lot since leaving school. After Lavender, he had kind of stayed away from girls. There had been a short fling with Hermione but nothing had really come of that relationship.

"Why didn't I wait?" Harry muttered to himself.

"'Cause you loved her," Ron supplied.

"Yeah," Harry sighed. He was beginning to doubt this.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A drawling voice cut through Harry's thoughts and he lifted his head. There stood Draco Malfoy.

He was resplendent in Muggle clothes. He was wearing a pair of black slacks and nice light blue button down shirt. His short blond hair was spiked and his eyebrow was pierced. After the war had ended, he had thrown away the image his father had forced upon him.

He still liked to wear nice clothes, but he no longer slicked back his hair. Draco stood looking at the two former Gryffindors sitting at the table.

"Go away, Malfoy," Harry said scathingly. He really didn't feel like trading insults today. Ron just glared at him. Neither had completely forgiven Draco for the part he'd played in Dumbledore's death, despite it being six years ago.

To Harry's disappointment, Draco didn't leave. Instead, he slid into the third seat at the table and smirked at Harry.

"What's wrong, trouble in paradise?" he asked in mock sympathy, the smirk never leaving his face.

Harry scowled at him. "That's none of your business," he growled.

Draco raised a delicate eyebrow at his tone. "You're right, it's not. It's just fun."

"You take pleasure in my problems, Malfoy?" Harry asked, annoyed.

"Yes, Potter, I do."

"Fuck off," Harry spat. Draco shrugged at him then slid off the chair, straightening his shirt. Harry found his eyes straying to the moving hands down the slim waist. He snapped his gaze upward though and scowled at him.

"See you around, Potter," Draco said cryptically. Then he left the bar.

Ron and Harry stared after him, confused on what had just happened.

"What was that?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Harry said incredulously. He didn't understand why he would see him around. He hardly ever saw Malfoy.

After graduating, Harry had taken some time off and not gone to work. He'd spent his time traveling around the world. He'd gone around all of Europe and had even taken a trip to the United States. Once he'd finished that, he'd married Ginny and been recruited by the English National Quidditch team.

He now played seeker for them. He spent most of his time training. After the war, he hadn't seen Malfoy for three years. He had practically disappeared of the face of the Earth. It wasn't as though Harry had thought to look for him.

The first time he saw him after school was at Hermione's wedding. She and Blaise Zabini had gotten together during the war when he'd pledged to the light side. Harry had been incredibly surprised to find Draco present. He hadn't thought Hermione would want him there, but she was even more open-minded than even Harry could have imagined.

Hermione told him that Draco was married to Pansy Parkinson. _Big surprise,_ Harry had thought. Apparently, they had moved out of the Malfoy Manor and to a less lavish home near the river. Harry cared little of what Draco was doing and had spent most of the wedding ignoring him.

Harry didn't understand what Draco had meant. Why would he be seeing him? He had no idea what profession Draco was in, never having been interested. He and Ron sat at the table trying to figure out his cryptic message.

It wasn't until Harry looked at his watch that he realized he'd been gone for over an hour. It shouldn't have taken him this long to go the store. He jumped up and grabbed his jacket.

"I gotta go, Ron," Harry said hurriedly.

Ron looked at his watch and jumped too. "Whoa, I have to get to work!"

Together, they left the building. Once they were a safe way away, Ron Apparated to work with a quick good-bye. Harry walked quickly back to the flat, hoping Ginny wouldn't be too mad.

He crept up the stairs and pushed open the door, gritting his teeth. He closed the door quietly and winced as it made a loud snapping noise.

"Harry? Is that you?" Ginny's voice floated from the kitchen to the living room. Harry grimaced and began walking towards the sound. "Did you get the milk?"

Harry stopped dead where he stood.

"Oh shit."

OoOoO

_A/N: Please review! I'm thinking weekly updates if I can manage :)_


	2. Evident Trust

**Chapter Two: Evident Trust**

"Harry, did you get the milk?" Ginny repeated slowly, emerging from the kitchen. She stood in the doorway, watching Harry carefully through narrowed eyes. She had grown into a very pretty woman with long, thick hair. It was no longer a brazen red but more of a softened ginger color.

As of now, her almond-colored eyes were narrowed in suspicion as she surveyed her husband. Harry fidgeted slightly under her gaze, knowing he was in trouble.

"Um... I got distracted," Harry said slowly.

"Distracted?" Ginny repeated, with a raised eyebrow. "What could have possibly distracted you from the simple task of buying one thing at the store?"

Harry tried to come up with an excuse. He couldn't very well tell her that he'd been contemplating the state of their relationship.

"I...um..." Harry said, stalling for time.

While he was doing this, Ginny moved closer, like a cat stalking its prey. She sniffed the air quickly and Harry stopped trying to think of a response.

"Have you been drinking?" she asked dangerously.

"It was only one!" Harry exclaimed.

"One is bad enough. You shouldn't be drinking at all!"

"Why are you telling me what to do!" Harry yelled.

"Because I am your wife! If I tell you to buy milk, you buy milk! If I say you shouldn't drink, you don't!"

"I thought marriage was supposed to be a compromise!" Harry said.

"Yeah, when you do what I want!" Ginny yelled.

Harry stopped and stared at her in amazement. He couldn't think what had made him fall in love with her at the moment.

"Do you hear what you're saying?" he asked incredulously. Ginny paused and Harry could see her thinking it through.

"I--You're right, Harry. I'm sorry, that was stupid of me," she said finally. Harry let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad you understand," he said quietly. Ginny nodded mutely and went back into the kitchen. Harry shook his head and sat down on the couch, putting his feet on the coffee table.

"Get your feet off the table!" Ginny called from the kitchen. Harry took them off, scowling. He sat on the couch, still scowling and staring into the fire when a head popped up in the flames. Harry was startled and nearly fell off the couch.

He quickly gathered himself and knelt down by the fire.

"Hey Oliver, how's everything?" Harry asked. Oliver Wood's head was floating in the middle of the green flames. He had a serious look on his face as he looked at Harry.

"Harry, there's something I really need you to do," he said gravely. Harry was a bit surprised.

"What's that?"

"I i need /i you to be on time to practice tomorrow," Oliver said.

"I'm always on time," Harry said good-naturedly. Oliver just rolled his eyes.

"We both know that's not true. But listen, tomorrow, the new owner is coming out to view the team. I really need it to go well, and you have to be there!"

Harry rolled his eyes at that. Oliver was the team's coach and hadn't lost any of his previous enthusiasm or worry.

"I'll be there," Harry said and Oliver looked unsure. "I promise."

"You better," Oliver said with a worried look. Harry just shook his head and smiled encouragingly.

"Don't worry. I'm sure the new owner can't be that bad."

"Well, we'll see tomorrow," Oliver said, frowning.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright," Oliver said reluctantly as though he didn't trust Harry's word. But with a pop, his head vanished from the fire. Harry sat back on the couch, rubbing his face with his hands. He wasn't particularly worried about the new owner. Whoever it was would probably be so taken with him that it wouldn't matter if he was on time or not.

Harry hated to admit it, but sometimes it was just easiest to play up the "Hero of the Wizarding World" role that he'd been labeled. He found things just came easier when he did that.

"Who was that?" Ginny asked, coming in carrying a tray of cookies. She set them down on the table and Harry took one.

"It was Wood," Harry said through a mouthful of cookie. Ginny rolled her eyes at him but seemed to be trying to restrain herself.

"What did he want?"

"Um, something about me being on time," Harry said, reaching for another cookie.

"Harry," Ginny sighed. "You really should try to be on time."

"I do try! I just get distracted," Harry said.

"Right," Ginny muttered under her breath. She left Harry alone with the cookies and went into the bedroom. He watched her go and sighed again. He didn't know what was wrong with the relationship. Everything had been going well up until recently.

Harry just didn't understand. Ron was no help there. She was his sister so it was very unlikely he could ask him anything personal about her. Hermione might be a good answer, but she was so busy with her job and her son.

Harry sighed, wishing he knew what was wrong so he could fix it.

OoOoOoO

"Draco, stop fussing."

"I am not fussing."

"Really? Then what do you call having the house-elves bring out every outfit you own so you can choose the perfect one?"

"Professionalism."

Pansy groaned and rolled her eyes as her husband went desperately through the clothes lain out on the bed. Pansy stood up and came up behind him, hugging his middle and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Draco, it's going to be fine," she said calmly. At these words, Draco turned around and stared at Pansy.

"How can you be so nice to me?" he asked incredulously. "We're getting a divorce. Aren't you at least a little upset?"

"Well, I was, but I've thought about it."

"And?" Draco prompted as she stopped.

"And I realize that this was a stupid arrangement in the beginning. It's not our fault; it's our parents. They forced this upon us after all."

Draco had to agree that that was true. He hadn't exactly chosen Pansy. Not that she was a bad choice. She was certainly pretty in an off-beat sort of way. Her shiny black hair was pulled to the side in an elegant ponytail. Her make-up was perfectly done. She was the perfect candidate to be a Malfoy's wife.

"I'm sorry this didn't work out, Pansy," Draco said sincerely. "But I don't love you."

"I know that," she said. "And neither do I. It's an unfortunate situation we have here."

"Yes, it is unfortunate. I still don't have an outfit for tomorrow!"

Pansy laughed and rolled her eyes. She walked over to the bed and picked out some slacks and dark tee-shirt paired with a nice jacket.

"Better?" she asked.

"You are amazing," Draco told her. She smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Now you go have fun with all those yummy Quidditch players."

Draco laughed, looking down at the clothes.

"You have some imagination, Pansy," he told her, smiling. She raised an eyebrow at his back.

"Sure, imagination," she said quietly to herself.

XDXDXDX

A/N: See? Updates on Monday! Just like I promised :) Please review!


	3. Surprise Surprise

Harry awoke the next morning at 8 AM. He had an hour to get ready and be at the stadium for practice. He rolled out of bed, glancing once over at Ginny's sleeping form. He turned away from the sight and padded into the bathroom for a shower.

Once he was clean and fully dressed, he walked barefoot out and into the kitchen. He grabbed a box of cereal and filled a bowl. Then he remembered the lack of milk. He grumbled and searched around for his wand. He waved it once and a gallon of milk appeared.

He stopped and looked at it. _Why didn't I think of this yesterday? _he thought. He shook his head at his stupidity and poured the milk in the bowl. While he was eating, the _Daily Prophet_ arrived. He paid the owl and shook open the front page.

There was the picture of the newly elected Minister. Scrimgeour hadn't lasted long once the public figured out he'd been using celebrities to fabricate good publicity. Harry threw the page aside, looking for the editorials.

He smiled as he saw the letter from the editor. It read, "'Integrity of Journalism, Not a Thing of the Past' by Hermione Granger." Harry was proud that his friend had managed to turn the paper around and make it into a respectable journal.

He started reading and became so involved that he didn't realize the time. When he looked up, he jumped up. It was ten past nine. Harry grabbed his coat and bolted out the door, making his way to the Apparition point.

He had wards on his apartment nowadays to prevent people from just coming in. Harry Apparated quickly and ended up near the locker rooms of the team. He rushed in to find the team sitting around.

Wood looked incredibly relieved to find him there. "Harry! Finally, you're here!"

Harry scowled. "Yes, I'm here. So where's the new owner?"

The team looked around at each other, then back at Harry. They shrugged and Harry rolled his eyes.

"So he buys a team then doesn't bother to show up? What kind of good business is that?"

"That would be my way of doing business, Potter, and I expect you to respect that,"

Harry closed his eyes and tried not to groan. He heard it in the voice and saw it in the faces of his teammates. He knew who it was. He turned around slowly, biting his lip to keep from saying anything disrespectful.

"Malfoy," he said forcibly.

Draco gave him a withering look and then directed his attention to the team. "I am your new owner. I expect you to play well and to win. No exceptions will be given. I will attend a few practices every month to monitor and I will also attend the games. If I see something I don't like, be warned. I am not afraid of change, and I will change you out if necessary."

The team was speechless after his speech. None of them had ever expected that Draco Malfoy would be the new owner.

Wood stood up briskly and reached out to shake Draco's hand. "Hello, Malfoy. I hope we can put past differences behind us and start anew."

Draco nodded, his eyes trailing over Harry and his teammates, lingering slightly on Harry, who was still chewing his lip to stop from saying something inappropriate. Draco tore his eyes from Harry and gave Wood a quick smile. "Of course."

"Great, would you like to stay and watch the practice?" Wood offered.

Draco took a quick look around the locker room then shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I have some other business to take care of," he said politely. Harry listened to him in quiet shock. This Malfoy was much more pleasant than he had ever seen him. He was actually being nice, granted his speech hadn't been that encouraging, but he was being gracious to Wood at least.

"Well, perhaps another time. We have practices five times a week, for four hours. You're more than welcome to come to any."

"I'll keep that in mind," Draco said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another appointment. I wouldn't want to be late," he said, directing this at Harry. Harry scowled slightly at him but still restrained himself.

Draco nodded to the rest of the team and left the locker room. The team said nothing, just stared, dumbstruck, at the door.

Finally, Wood roused them from their stupor. "Come on, it won't be that bad. He seemed pleasant enough."

That shook Harry out of his thoughts. "Pleasant?" he repeated. "Oliver, don't you remember what he was like in school? He is not pleasant!"

Wood gave Harry a withering look. "Maybe he's changed. That can happen, you know."

"No, I saw him yesterday, and he wasn't pleasant at all! He hasn't changed, I tell you!"

Wood just shook his head and rolled his eyes. He gathered the rest of the team and they left to practice. Harry followed slowly, digesting it all.

So Draco Malfoy was the new owner of his Quidditch team. His message yesterday was not so cryptic anymore. And now he was stuck with having to see him a couple times a month, and more when there were games.

Harry groaned at the thoughts as he walked out onto the pitch. He took a deep breath and breathed in the smell of the grass. This was where he belonged. He felt at home when he was on a broom, flying above the Earth, free from all his problems.

Harry mounted his broom and whooshed off to join his teammates in practice.

OoOoOoO

"And you are absolutely sure you want to do this?"

Draco and Pansy glanced at each other then turned to the lawyer.

"Yes," Pansy said firmly.

"Alright, then sign here and you are good to go," he said, pushing forward a piece of paper. They had divided the estate equally. Pansy had decided she didn't want the house or really anything in it besides her personal possessions.

She had been graciously compensated and had bought a small house a few miles away. She and Draco had agreed to remain friends. There had never been much romance anyway, so the transition hadn't been that difficult.

After the papers were signed, they walked out of the office. There was a small hesitation as they stood there awkwardly.

"Well, I guess this is it," Pansy said.

"Yeah," Draco said quietly. He almost felt as though he was losing a part of himself, despite the fact that he would still see her often.

"Don't worry! I'll stop by later and you can give me all the details of your 'business meeting' this morning."

"Okay, Pans," Draco said, laughing. She kissed him quickly on the cheek and walked out the door. Draco saw her look around and disappear. He followed her and quickly Apparated away.

He appeared in an alley of a busy Muggle street. He looked around carefully, before unnecessarily smoothing down his shirt and stepping out. He walked casually down the street until he came to a small cafe.

He went inside and the waitress seated him near the window. Draco looked outside and watched the happy couples go by. He almost wished that he and Pansy could have had that, but he knew better. Something had been wrong the entire time he'd been with her.

Draco pushed the thought away as someone sat down at the table with him. Draco smiled at the handsome Italian.

Blaise smiled happily at Draco as he sat down. "Hey there, Draco," he said.

"Blaise," Draco said in greeting.

"So, how is the new team?" Blaise asked interestedly.

"Eh, it's a team," Draco said indifferently.

"Isn't Potter on that team?" Blaise asked with a sly smile.

"So?" Draco asked.

"No reason," Blaise said evasively.

Draco was suspicious but decided not to pursue the subject. "How's the wife?" he drawled. He still didn't quite understand what Blaise saw in Hermione.

Blaise smiled happily at him. "She's doing great. What about your little Mrs.?"

"Not my Mrs.," Draco replied.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. That was today, wasn't it?"

Draco paused as the waitress set down their food. He thanked her quickly and waited for her to leave before answering Blaise.

"Yes, it was today. It just feels weird, knowing that when I go home today, she won't be there."

"Well, divorce is hard. I just hope me and Hermione never have that problem."

"You probably won't. She's so smart; she could fix any problem you two have in a second."

"Yeah," Blaise said dreamily. "Oh, did I tell you? Jamie said his first word today! It was 'tentlacin' which Hermione thinks is 'tentacula' but I'm not sure..."

Draco sat there watching his friend ramble about his son and couldn't stop himself from laughing.

Blaise stopped and looked at him. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just I never imagined that you would have a son and be obsessed with him."

"Why not?" Blaise asked, annoyed.

"No, I just meant I never pictured you with kids. Hell, you were a Death Eater."

"And Death Eaters can't have kids? You were one, your father was one, your mother was one, are you saying you won't have kids?"

"Personally, I don't want kids, and I'm not a Death Eater anymore."

"Right, sorry," Blaise apologized, hearing the note of dejection in his voice.

"It's fine. I know what I did. People have forgiven me, and I've brought the family name back up to where it once was. All is good in the world."

Blaise laughed slightly and sighed. "So, tell me about this new team of yours."

"Well, not much to tell. But I have this sinking feeling that Potter is going to be a problem..."

XDXDXDX

A/N: I'm glad you guys are enjoying this :) It makes me happy... Please review :)


	4. Secrets and Lies

**Chapter Four: Secrets and Lies**

"How's your new owner?" Ginny asked quietly. She seemed to be trying to be nicer to Harry after the previous day's fight. Harry sighed as he flopped down on the couch.

"You'll never guess who it is," he said darkly.

Ginny furrowed her eyebrows and sat down next to Harry. "Who?"

"Draco Malfoy."

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "That's horrible, Harry."

"Tell me about it," Harry muttered. "And now I'll have to see him all the time!"

"It won't be that bad, he won't be just there to torture you. He's there for the whole team. At least you don't have to suffer alone," Ginny said, trying to placate him.

Harry scowled and gave her a dark look. "You think that will stop him from taking every shot he can get at me?"

"What kinds of shots do you think he'll take?"

"Uh..." Harry hesitated, not wanting to reveal that Draco had somehow intuited their marriage problems. They hadn't even admitted to themselves that they had problems.

Ginny saw his hesitation and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What kind of shots, Harry?" she repeated slowly, her eyes flashing.

"Nothing," Harry said quickly.

"Somehow, I get the feeling you're not telling me the whole truth, i dear /i ," she said in an overly sugary voice.

"It's nothing," Harry said dismissively, getting up from the couch. Ginny didn't follow him, but her narrowed eyes did. He walked around the back of the couch and was almost to the kitchen when a question made him stop.

"Why are you lying to me?"

Harry stopped and turned around. "I'm not lying to you."

"You're not telling me the whole truth."

"That's different."

Harry knew automatically that he'd said the wrong thing.

Ginny rose from the couch and moved slowly towards him. "So you are lying to me?" she asked dangerously.

"No," Harry said desperately. He could see the way the conversation was heading.

"You're keeping things from me."

"I'm not, I swear, Ginny."

"I don't believe you."

"And why not?" Harry asked, his anger growing now.

"Well, it's obvious there's something you're not telling me."

"Don't you trust me, though?"

Ginny paused and Harry's mouth fell open in indignation.

"You don't trust me!"

"No," Ginny said quickly, seeing the damage. "I do, I just--"

"No, you don't trust me. I can't believe my own wife doesn't trust me."

"I do, Harry. Harry, wait!"

Harry didn't listen as he stormed out the front door and to the apparition point. He didn't wait to see if she was coming after him before he Apparated away.

He appeared in front of a large white house. Woods surrounded the house and the front garden was alive with color. Harry strode up the walkway and knocked on the door. He stepped back onto the porch and waited.

Soon, the door was thrown open and a woman with wavy brown hair stood in the doorway holding a small little boy. The boy had dark brown hair and pretty hazel eyes.

"Awy!" The little boy said, throwing out his arms. Harry smiled at the boy and took him from his mother. Hermione stood back and smiled at the pair of them.

"Hi, Jamie," Harry greeted the little boy in his arms. The little boy just grinned, not being able to say much.

"What brings you here, Mr. Potter?" Hermione asked, still smiling. To her surprise, Harry handed her back Jamie and sighed.

"I need to talk to you," he said, and walked past her into the house. Hermione frowned and followed him into the living room. She set Jamie down in a crib and went to join Harry on the couch.

"What's wrong?" she asked seriously.

"Well, to start," Harry began, "something is seriously wrong with me and Ginny; we fight all the time, she's always mad at me, I forget to do little things, and I don't know why. And, to top it all off, Draco Malfoy is the new owner of my Quidditch team."

Hermione bit her lip nervously and Harry stopped. He looked at her closely and she looked away. "You knew!" he said, finally realizing. "You knew Malfoy was doing this, and you didn't tell me!"

"Harry," Hermione sighed, "I knew you wouldn't take this well, so I didn't tell you."

"I can't believe you people," Harry muttered to himself.

"Harry, what do you really think of this?" Hermione asked.

"What do you mean, what do I think! I think this is horrible! I'll have to see him all the time now! And he knows about my marriage problems. You don't think he'll take every advantage?"

"About your marriage problems..." Hermione started and Harry gave her an anxious look. "Do you know what exactly is wrong?"

"No, that's the problem. Everything was fine up until a couple months ago. I don't know what happened!"

"Hmm," Hermione said, thinking. "And why are you fighting?"

"I don't know," Harry said with a shrug. "It's just little things, but then sometimes, like yesterday, she says things that make me wonder why I married her."

"That's not good," Hermione said.

"No, and I..." Harry looked around quickly as though to make sure no one else was there, hiding behind the drapes. He leaned in closer to Hermione. "We haven't had sex in two months. And the last time we did, something felt wrong."

"How do you mean 'wrong'?" Hermione asked with a concentrated look.

"I don't know," Harry whispered. "But it was weird, like I shouldn't be doing it or something."

"Has it always felt like that?"

"Well... kinda, I mean, not really, it's just... well, I guess it kind of has. Something was always off. I mean, I enjoyed it, but something was... wrong."

"And you've never been with anyone else, right?" Hermione asked.

"Er..." Harry said, biting his lip nervously. "Well, there was this one time, after the final battle. Everyone was drinking and Seamus was _really_ drunk and he kissed me."

"It was just a kiss though."

"Yeah... It just--I dunno," Harry said with a sigh. Hermione's eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as she surveyed Harry. Harry felt as though he was under a giant microscope.

"Harry, I really don't know what to tell you. Since we don't know the exact cause of all of this, it's impossible to find a solution. My best advice is to talk to Ginny about it."

"I can't talk to her; she'll just yell at me again!"

"Harry!" Hermione said, exasperated. "Just try, why don't you?"

"Fine, I will try, but I'm not going to let her yell at me again," Harry said huffily. Hermione rolled her eyes, but at that moment, they heard the front door open and close.

"Where is my lovely wife?" They heard Blaise call from the entrance hall. He walked into to the living room, smiling happily then frowned when he saw Harry.

"What are you doing here, Potter?" he asked in surprise. Harry rolled his eyes darkly and Hermione sighed.

She got up and kissed Blaise quickly. "Harry just came by to ask me something."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to steal Hermione, seeing as how often you're over here," Blaise said with an eyebrow raised. Harry just gave him a withering glance in return.

"Blaise, Harry is Jamie's godfather. He has all the rights to come over," Hermione said, scolding him slightly.

Blaise rolled his eyes but dropped the subject. "I know, sorry, honey. It's just odd that he's here all the time. I mean, aren't you married?" he asked Harry.

Harry scowled at him. "Thanks for reminding me," he said darkly and Blaise shot a questioning look at Hermione, who shrugged.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Harry's head snapped up as Blaise said the exact same words Draco had used just days before. "Have you been talking to Malfoy?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yeah," Blaise shrugged. "I see him all the time. We had lunch together today actually."

"You!" Harry said. "You told him. That's how he knows! You fucker!"

"Harry, language!" Hermione reprimanded him, jerking her head toward Jamie who was sitting in the crib, playing with a brightly colored toy. Harry rolled his eyes and Blaise glared at Harry.

"He's my best friend. I can tell him whatever I want."

"But it's my business. You shouldn't even know." He said this while turning to Hermione. "You shouldn't have told him."

"Harry, we're married. It's just how it works."

Harry looked between the two then huffed. "Well, I hope you're happy. You two have just succeeded completing the 10th circle of hell in my life." Then he turned and stormed out of the room.

"What the hell is his problem?" Blaise asked in annoyance as he collapsed on the couch. Hermione frowned at his language but ignored it as she retrieved Jamie. She gave the little boy to Blaise, who smiled and held him up to look at him.

"Well, he's obviously having marital problems. And it probably wasn't the best idea to tell Draco about it," Hermione said and Blaise frowned, moving Jamie to sit on his lap.

"But Draco was interested. He needs something to cheer him up from his divorce. He seemed to like that news."

"He only liked it because it involved Harry suffering."

"I'm not so sure," Blaise said and Hermione looked at him.

"You mean, you think there might be something..." Hermione trailed off with a questioning look at Blaise.

"Maybe. Draco got a divorce, Potter isn't doing so hot with Weasley, and you never know."

Hermione thought back to the conversation she had just had with Harry. _'It just felt wrong.'_

"Has Draco ever been with other... people?" Hermione asked delicately, hoping Blaise would get the meaning.

"He used to experiment a bit in school, but nothing ever came of it since he was destined to marry Pansy."

"And now they're divorced."

"Right."

"And he's bought the Quidditch team Harry plays for."

"Yes, although he adamantly denies it has anything to do with him."

"I doubt that, but the only thing we can really do is sit back and wait to say I told you so."

XDXDXDX

_A/N: Please Review! (P.S. You guys are winning in reviews:D)_


	5. Necessary Changes

"Okay team, today we're going to try something new."

Harry fidgeted slightly while sitting on the bench in the locker room. His mind was elsewhere as Wood tried once again to explain a new move using extremely detailed charts.

Harry twisted his wedding band idly as Wood rambled on. He was thinking of the day before when he had come home to Ginny. She had been sitting on the couch and had jumped up when he'd come back.

They had semi-made up. They at least felt comfortable around each other now, although the tension was obvious. Harry wondered if Ginny felt it as much as he did.

Harry was brought back to reality as Wood smacked the chart with his wand. The rest of the team rose to their feet and Harry followed, wondering what he'd missed. They walked out onto the pitch and took off.

Harry soared around the pitch, enjoying the sound of the wind in his ears. He took a deep breath and smiled, feeling relaxed for the first time in days.

He looped around the stadium, doing a few stunts for the hell of it. He touched down in the middle of the field next to Wood and the rest of the team followed.

"Not bad," came a voice from behind the group. Harry stopped and rolled his eyes, gritting his teeth. The rest of the team turned around to see Draco striding up the pitch. He was wearing another button down shirt, green this time, and a pair of relaxed jeans. They rode low on his hips as he walked toward the group.

"Malfoy," Wood greeted him cheerfully. "Decided to come watch a practice?"

"Yes, I need to see how well the team plays in order to make the necessary changes."

The team exchanged troubled glances at the word "changes". Harry just rolled his eyes at Draco, who raised an eyebrow.

"That sounds fine," Wood said slowly, clearly unsure of what he meant by changes.

"Perfect," Draco said. "I'll let you get on with it." He then retreated back to the stands and took a seat. Harry glared after him.

"Okay... well, try to fly your best," Wood said, trying to be encouraging.

The team went through their basic warm-ups and their normal practice routine. Things went fairly smooth. Harry managed to catch the Snitch within an hour of letting it go. By the time the practice was over, Harry felt it had gone well.

They all reconvened in the middle of the pitch. They didn't say anything to each other as Draco strode towards them.

"Well, it wasn't completely horrible," he drawled and Harry scowled at him. "There were a few obvious faults which I'm sure you will be working on." He said this with a significant look at Wood.

"Right," Wood said uncertainly. When Draco showed no more signs of continuing, Wood dismissed the team.

Harry turned slowly and began to walk back but stopped when he heard Draco talking to Wood.

"Is Potter always late?"

Harry's mouth fell open indignantly and he swiveled back around to march back to Draco.

Draco looked a little surprised to see Harry coming back. "Yes, Potter?" he drawled nonchalantly.

"I am not always late! You shouldn't make assumptions about people!" Harry said indignantly.

"Assumptions?" Draco asked. "You mean like assuming that just because I was a Death Eater that means I've set out to make your life a living hell?"

"Sure seems like it," Harry growled at him.

Draco moved away from Wood, who stood in shock and closer to Harry. "Listen up, Potter. I'm not exactly thrilled that you're on this team. Lucky for you, you are a good player. I would have to be an idiot to fire you. That's your ticket, Potter, but that doesn't mean I have to like you."

"I don't want you to like me," Harry snarled.

"Right, because you get enough of that from your wife," Draco sneered. Harry's eyes flashed in anger and he had to try really hard not to jump Malfoy and start pounding him into the ground.

"You fucking asshole!" Harry hissed. "What I do in my life is none of your goddamn business, and I swear to god, I will kill Blaise and you if you ever say anything more about it!"

Draco's silver eyes darkened significantly as he surveyed Harry in disgust and anger. "You better watch what you say, Potter. Kicking you off the team isn't the worst I could do."

Harry glared at his back as Draco turned and strode off the field. Wood let out the breath he'd been holding for the past few minutes. He walked over and placed a hand on Harry's seething shoulder.

"Just ignore him, Harry. I heard he just got divorced, it must be hard."

"Hard?" Harry repeated incredulously. "What do you think this is for me, a tea party!" He turned and walked off the field then, leaving Wood shaking his head behind him.

OoOoOoO

Draco Apparated to his home, seething with anger. How dare Potter threaten him like that! He was his boss now and he called the shots. He had finally one-upped Potter. He wasn't about to let that go. The fact that his marriage wasn't going well was just icing on the cake.

Draco entered into his home, slipping off his shoes by the door and falling onto his couch. He turned on the TV and sat back to relax. Yes, Draco Malfoy had a television. He hadn't always hated Muggles as everyone had suspected.

He'd gone along with most of it to please his father. But now that Lucius was dead, Draco found that he quite enjoyed some Muggle objects. Lucius had been killed by the Dark Lord himself soon before the last battle. He'd been found to be passing information to the other side.

Draco soon bored of the television. He rose from the couch and walked over to the fireplace. He grabbed a small handful of green dust from a blue and green ornamental glass bowl. He threw the powder into the fireplace.

"Pansy, come talk to me, I'm bored."

A swirling shape appeared in the green flames and seconds later, Pansy appeared, brushing soot off her black dress. She stepped elegantly out of the fireplace and gave Draco a look.

"Did you really have to call me right now?" she asked, annoyed.

"Yes, I'm bored," Draco said, pouting.

"I was kind of _busy,_" she said, putting emphasis on the word busy.

"Pansy, we've been divorced for two days. How could you already..." Draco trailed off as Pansy gave him an obvious look. "Oh, well I guess it shouldn't be too much of a shock."

"Aw, Draco, don't feel bad, we'll find you a scandalous affair of your own."

"Scandalous? And who is this mystery man, pray tell?"

"No one, it's not important," Pansy said, waving his question away and sitting down on the couch. Draco rolled his eyes but didn't pursue the subject.

"Alright, keep your secrets."

"I will," Pansy said smugly. "So how's the Quidditch team?"

"They're not too bad. Potter's attitude is shit though. He needs to learn some self-control."

"Self-control? You mean like you have?" Pansy asked, grinning.

Draco turned to her, a look of astonishment on his face. "I have self-control! I didn't sleep with anyone else while we were married, unlike_ someone_."

Pansy just rolled her eyes at him. "Here's your chance. We'll find you someone fun to take out your aggressions on. Lord knows you like it rough," she said, speaking from experience.

"Who would you suggest?" Draco asked.

"First things first, which would you prefer, male or female?"

Draco just stared at her. "Why would you ask that!"

"Draco, it was kind of obvious that you don't seem to find much pleasure in women. And I've heard the stories from school. Don't think I didn't know what you and that little Ravenclaw were doing all those nights."

"But it's been years since I--"

"And now it's time to try again. I'll ask you once more. Male or female?" Pansy gave Draco a hard look, telling him he better answer honestly.

"Fine, male," Draco admitted grudgingly.

"Alright, now who do you find attractive?"

"No one."

"No one?" Pansy asked. "There isn't anyone that you know, personally or otherwise, that catches your attention in any way?"

"No, I haven't exactly been looking," he said with a significant glance at Pansy.

"Just let it go, alright? We didn't have the best marriage. You couldn't expect me to stay faithful with that."

"I did," Draco said.

Pansy sighed and patted his leg comfortingly. "That just shows that you are a good person, Death Eater or no."

"Enough with the emotions, did you have a point with all these stupid questions?"

"Right, well, take a look around. I'm sure there's someone out there that can challenge you."

"Unlikely."

_Unless he's already right under your nose_, Pansy thought to herself.

* * *

A/N: Hehehe, my fave line in the entire fic is in this chapter! Can you find it? please review:-)


	6. Humble Pie

* * *

**Chapter Six: Humble Pie**

"Harry, pay attention!"

"Huh?" Harry asked and looked up. His eyes widened fear as he saw a Bludger careening towards him. He swerved out of the way just in time.

"Harry, get your head out of the clouds!" Wood called as he whooshed past on his broom, monitoring the practice.

Harry sighed and zoomed away towards the other end of the pitch to continue searching for the elusive Snitch. Harry had been thinking back to another fight he'd had with Ginny recently. It really hadn't been about anything important, but, as usual, it had escalated.

:FLASHBACK:

_"Harry, I wish you wouldn't leave your broom by the door. How hard is it to stick it in the closet when you get home?" Ginny asked, annoyed. _

_She was standing in the entrance to the living room while Harry took off his shoes. He rolled his eyes at his shoes before looking up at his wife. "I'm sorry," he said, exasperated. "I'm just really tired after practices and I forget."_

_"You seem to be forgetting things a lot lately," Ginny said suspiciously._

_"You knew I was forgetful when we got married."_

_"Not this bad," she said._

_"Well, I'm sorry if I'm not as 'on point' as you are," Harry said sarcastically._

_"Don't use that tone with me," Ginny said, firing up. Harry sighed, knowing he'd enraged the beast. "And don't you sigh either! You started this."_

_"I did not start anything!" Harry exclaimed, insulted that she would say that. "You're the one who nit picks every single thing I do!"_

_"I don't nit pick," Ginny said scathingly, glaring at Harry._

_"Oh, sure you don't," Harry said sarcastically, standing up from the couch. "Just my clothes, my food, work, my personality!"_

_"I am not that bad."_

_"Yes, you are! I don't understand why you have to do this!" Harry exclaimed and Ginny's eyes narrowed._

_"You listen to me, Harry James Potter," Ginny said dangerously and Harry scoffed. "I am your wife. I'm just trying to help you."_

_"Help me!" Harry repeated incredulously. "You don't help me, you make me feel like I'm an idiot. Is that your goal in life, Ginny?"_

_"No, Harry! You just act like a child all the time. I feel like I'm a mother, and we don't even have kids!"_

_"I do not act like a child. I am more grown up than you will ever be." Then Harry stormed out of the living room and into the bedroom, slamming the door and setting a special Locking Charm._

:END FLASHBACK:

Harry landed back on the ground, with a little more force than he meant to and staggered slightly. He took a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm the emotions that had welled up at the memory.

He couldn't believe Ginny had accused him of being childish. He had never even had a real childhood. What one would consider a childhood, he had spent being beaten up by Dudley and terrorized by thoughts of Voldemort.

It wasn't his fault he'd never had the chance to be a real kid. How dare she accuse him of that?

"What in the hell were you doing up there, Potter?"

Harry looked up sharply at Draco's voice. While he'd been standing there musing, the rest of the team had left for the locker rooms. He'd been left alone with Draco, who'd come once again to watch the practice, having not attended any in the last week.

"Shit," Harry cursed to himself.

"What was that?" Draco asked.

"Nothing, fuck off, Malfoy," Harry sneered, wishing he would just leave him alone.

"Well, well, Potter. You seem to have lost your wit along with your balls," Draco drawled and Harry spun around to glare at him.

"Why the fuck are you so interested in my marriage?" Harry growled, his fists clenching, willing himself not to punch the blond man.

"I'm not," Draco shrugged. "It's just a very entertaining subject." He said this while smirking in an evil way.

"Stay the hell out of my life!" Harry yelled.

"Oh, I intend to. Wouldn't want to be involved with the Weaselette in any way more than necessary, or any way for that matter."

"Ginny's fine. My marriage is fine." Harry knew it was a lie before all the words had even come out of his mouth.

Draco laughed derisively at that and Harry scowled. "Fine? If it was fine, you wouldn't be spacing out in the middle of a match, almost getting your head cracked open by a Bludger."

"It's none of your business," Harry growled.

"I beg to differ. If the star player can't even keep his attention on the match, then it is my business. Just fix whatever problem you have and focus."

"If it was that easy, don't you think I would have done it already?" Harry asked sarcastically. He couldn't believe he was still talking to Draco Malfoy. He should have left a long time ago.

"I don't give a damn what your problem is, Potter. And I don't care how you fix it. Do whatever is necessary. Lie if need be."

"I don't want to lie to Ginny," Harry said stubbornly.

Draco then muttered something that sounded oddly like, "Bloody Gryffindors."

"I don't care, Potter. Just fix it, and fix it fast." Then Draco turned and walked off the pitch. Harry stared after him. For a second there, it had almost sounded like Draco was being sympathetic to Harry.

_No, that's not possible_, Harry told himself. He let go of the thought and also left the pitch to change.

OoOoO

"I think I have a problem."

"What did you say?"

"Problem."

"No, you said you _had_ one?"

"Blaise," Draco growled warningly.

They were sitting in the living room of Hermione's and Blaise's house. The sun was streaming in through the big windows facing the front porch where Azalea's grew, overflowing their pots. The sun flooded into the room, bathing it in a warm afternoon glow.

Blaise sat in an armchair, facing Draco who relaxing in the couch across from him. Little Jamie and his mother were gone for the day, off to Paris for some story Hermione was working on.

"Alright, alright. So you have a problem," Blaise said, deciding to be serious.

"Yes," Draco said huffily, annoyed at his friend's former attitude.

"And it would be...?" Blaise asked searchingly.

"Potter."

"What?"

Draco sighed in annoyance. "Pansy said something to me and it got me thinking." He paused as Blaise appeared to look shocked. "Yes, Pansy is actually quite intelligent. You learn that after being married to her for three years. Anyway, she mentioned that I ought to find someone new."

Blaise didn't say anything for a moment, taking it all in. Finally, he looked at Draco. "So you found someone?" he asked, confused.

"No, that's the problem. Ever since she told me that, I can't help noticing Potter, which is driving me insane!"

"I can see why," Blaise said consolingly.

"Yes, and he's so annoying. Did you know, he hasn't changed at all since school?"

"Oh, I know it," Blaise said in annoyance. "He's over here all the time. I mean, I get that he's Hermione's friend and all, but shouldn't he be at home, at least _trying_ to fix his marriage?"

"That too, he doesn't like me discussing it," Draco said while snickering.

"Then naturally you take all advantages."

"What else would I do?"

"Well then, why is Potter the problem again?" Blaise asked, confused.

Draco sighed. "Because Pansy made me notice him!"

"I don't understand."

"Whenever I look at him, it's like I can't stop. She did something to me," Draco said darkly.

Blaise just rolled his eyes at his friend. "She didn't i do /i anything," he said consolingly. "Sounds to me like someone has a crush..."

Draco turned to Blaise with a look of absolute disgust on his face. "That is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard in my life."

Blaise shrugged. "Just going off what you're telling me."

"I didn't say anything about liking Potter. I hate him and all his self-righteous preaching and his perfect stature. He is infuriating!"

"Okay, maybe you don't like him, but you're noticing him," Blaise said as though it was obvious.

"I know, Blaise," Draco drawled, giving him a withering stare.

"What are you noticing about him?" Blaise asked, determined to get some kind of information out of him.

"I don't know, it just seems like he's everywhere all the time. He's just so bothersome."

Blaise sighed and shook his head. They were getting nowhere. Obviously, Draco was not ready to admit he had any kind of attraction to Potter yet.

"Well, I'd just see where it goes," Blaise counseled him.

"I don't want to see where it goes," Draco grumbled.

OoOoO

"Where have you been?"

_Here we go again..._

Harry grimaced as he shut the front door. He walked into the kitchen where Ginny sat at the counter with a cup of tea. Her hands were folded around the cup as she looked intently at him, awaiting his answer.

"I was just getting a drink with Ron," Harry answered, moving to get a bottle of water from the fridge. He opened it and took a quick drink. He screwed the cap back on and set it down on the counter.

"Why didn't you tell me where you went?" Ginny asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Why do you need to know where I am all the time? It's not like I'm cheating on you or something."

"I know, but I don't like not knowing where you are."

"I was with your brother, you know, my best friend?" Harry said, annoyed.

"Next time, just tell me where you are!"

"You're not my keeper," Harry said grudgingly.

"It sure feels like it sometimes," Ginny said, growing angry.

"I'm not a dog, okay! You can't control me no matter how hard you try," Harry said angrily.

"I'm not controlling you! I'm simply asking for you to tell me what you're doing!"

"But why! Why do you i need /i to know? Do you not trust me?"

"We've already been through this."

"Yes, and remember how well it turned out last time?" Harry said scathingly.

"Harry, I just want to know where you are, is that a crime?" Ginny asked sarcastically.

"It is when you treat me like a criminal!" Harry retorted.

"Well, that's not necessarily untrue," Ginny muttered.

Harry's eyes narrowed as he heard the comment. "I can't believe you. I don't understand you sometimes," he said, scowling.

"I thought that was the beauty of wives," Ginny said with a sarcastic smile.

"There is no beauty in wives," Harry sneered back at her. Without waiting for a response, he stormed out of the flat.

* * *

A/N: review, please? THanks:-D 


	7. Burning Hatred

**Chapter Seven: Burning Hatred**

Harry breathed deeply as he soared around the stadium. This was where he went when he couldn't take life anymore. He'd been coming a lot more frequently in the past few months. He loved to fly around the vast emptiness. He loved the absolute stillness the stadium took on when devoid of all life.

Harry circled the entire stadium one last time before landing softly on the grass in the middle of the pitch. Above the stands, Harry could just see the tip-top of some tall trees that grew around the outside.

The stadium was set far out into the country, away from London. If a person walked out the front gates they would see rolling hills for miles. In back was a forest full of elm, maple, and birch trees. No Muggle lived within fifty miles of the place. It was perfect for Quidditch matches.

Harry touched down and dismounted his broom. He set it down carefully on the ground and sat down beside it. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he flopped onto his back, his hands cushioning his head.

He gazed up at the sky. Today, it was cloudy grey color. It hadn't rained yet, but it was promising to. To the west, even darker clouds loomed. Harry watched as the clouds gathered to form one giant mass above his head.

He wondered if that was how his marriage looked to an outsider, grey and muddled. He wondered if there was a break of sunshine anywhere in it. Was it possible to fix? All the fighting they had been doing lately seemed pointless. After all, it wasn't about anything. Either that, or it came back to those trust issues.

Harry didn't understand where Ginny got her suspicions. He'd never done anything to make her distrust him. He'd always been faithful to her; even during the war he'd never done anything with anyone else. He'd been waiting.

He thought that would mean something to her, but maybe it didn't. Maybe Ginny didn't care about that.

While Harry had been meditating on these thoughts, a sliver of sunshine had pushed through the clouds. Harry felt the warmth on his face and closed his eyes. It went away all too soon. Harry opened his eyes to see where it had gone.

He tilted his head backward to look and found himself looking at an upside down Draco Malfoy. Harry groaned. "What the fuck are you doing here, Malfoy? It's a Saturday for god's sake," he asked him, not really caring about the answer.

"I could ask you the same thing, Potter," Draco drawled, annoyed.

He'd just been looking for some peace. His house was too quiet, and the city was too loud. He'd figured that the Quidditch Pitch would be the perfect place. He was wrong. Then again, how could he have predicted that Potter would be here?

"And I wouldn't give you an answer," Harry answered sullenly, stubbornly refusing to get up. Malfoy wasn't going to make him leave.

"And you think I would?" Draco asked sarcastically. "You're more naive than even I thought, Potter."

"You think I'm naive?" Harry repeated in disbelief. He couldn't believe how many people assumed he was naive because he seemed so innocent. "I have seen and done more than you probably ever will in your sad little life," he said scathingly.

"What do you think I did as a Death Eater, Potter? Sat around and knitted?" Draco asked sarcastically.

"Are you proud of what you did?" Harry asked angrily. He couldn't believe he was actually bragging about being a Death Eater.

"Hell no, but that doesn't mean I don't have just as much experience as you do."

"Right, because you were a Death Eater-in-training since were like three."

"Do you really think I wanted to do that, Potter? Did you think I sat around when I was three and said, 'Gee, I want to know how to perform the Cruciatus Curse, but first, I want to know what it feels like!' Yeah, Potter, I just loved it," Draco said harshly. He was glaring at Harry now, wondering why on Earth he _had_ to pick the team with Harry on it to buy.

"Well, you didn't _have_ to become a Death Eater," Harry said with a gesture.

"Right, okay, sure, uh huh, yeah. I'd just tell my father that I didn't want to. He'd respect my wishes. Oh, wait, no, he wouldn't. I would have been dead before I even finished the sentence."

"You know what, Malfoy? I don't care, alright? I just don't care. It doesn't matter. So will you _please_ go away!" Harry huffed angrily, wishing he would just leave.

"I have as much right to be here as you do, Potter. So I'm not leaving," Draco said, crossing his arms resolutely.

Harry let out a frustrated yell and pushed himself off the ground and turned around to face Malfoy. "You just love to kick me when I'm down, don't you, Malfoy? The farther I've fallen, the harder you kick. Isn't that right?" he asked angrily, glaring at Draco.

"It's not my fault you throw yourself headfirst into these holes. I use what I have to my advantage. You just always happen to present a lot of advantage," Draco drawled.

"I hate you, Malfoy. I always have and I always will," Harry growled.

"Oh, I'm so sad now. The Famous Harry Potter doesn't like me. I think I'm going to cry," Draco said in mock hurt.

"Do whatever the hell you want. Throw yourself off a building for all I care, just don't bother me anymore."

"I can't promise that, Potter. You are one highly entertaining idiot, and I fully intend to continue this."

Harry let out an angry noise and spun around on his heel, grabbing his broom and stomping back towards the changing rooms. Draco watched him go with a satisfied smirk. He'd won the battle, maybe not the war, but this was close enough.

OoOoOoO

"I hate him! I fucking HATE him!" Harry yelled. He was at the bar with Ron once more. Ron was sitting placidly, occasionally sipping his drink while listening to Harry rant about his latest run-in with Malfoy.

"Well, Harry, we always knew he was like that. He's an evil git. Even if he hadn't been a Death Eater, he would still be evil," Ron said when Harry stopped to take a breath.

"This is just the icing on the cake, isn't it?" Harry asked rhetorically. "He just wants to ruin my life as much as he possibly can!"

"Well, Harry, he hasn't exactly had the best life either," Ron said and Harry stared at him.

"Are you defending him!" Harry exclaimed, staring wide eyed with his mouth hanging open.

"No!" Ron exclaimed. "I was just saying that his life isn't that great either."

"How would you know!" Harry demanded.

"I-I don't," Ron said quickly, defending himself. "I just... you know, I hear things... from Hermione."

"Right, Hermione," Harry said suspiciously, eyeing his friend.

Ron blushed and quickly took a swig of his drink. "And anyway, he's evil, you said it," he continued once he'd set down his drink.

"Yeah," Harry agreed slowly, still eyeing Ron suspiciously.

"Yeah," Ron said, seeming to think the danger had passed. He smiled encouragingly at Harry.

"But why does he have to be evil to _me_?" Harry asked pressingly. "Aren't there other people he could be torturing? Why is so fixated on me?"

Harry sighed and shook his head. He didn't understand Draco's reasons for his constant berating and belittling. He didn't understand why he was the target and always had been.

"I don't know, mate," Ron said consolingly. "Maybe he'll get tired of it."

"He hasn't after thirteen years, but I guess there's always tomorrow," Harry said despairingly, pushing his coaster around the table.

OoOoOoO

Pansy sat on the front porch of her cozy house situated on the bank of the river. The water flowed softly here, lapping at the bank quietly. Pansy smiled and sipped her tea lazily. She enjoyed the silence and was very content with her current life.

She'd always known that the marriage wouldn't work. Unfortunately, her parents refused to listen to her and had forced her and Draco to marry. She had known divorce would be inevitable. She was surprised that they had even managed to make it three years.

After Hogwarts, Draco had disappeared. Pansy knew that he had left the country. She thought he might have spent some time in France, as when he returned his French had been nearly perfect. His father hadn't really bothered to look.

Lucius had died shortly before the war ended at the hands of other Death Eaters who claimed he had been passing information. Draco had managed to get away after the war, pledging back to the light side and having the Dark Mark removed from his arm.

Narcissa had gone into hiding from the remaining Death Eaters. Pansy and Draco rarely saw her. She only came to visit when she deemed it safe enough. Really, it was perfectly safe. All the remaining Death Eaters had been killed or captured.

She still refused to come out of hiding. After Lucius' death, she'd signed the Manor over to Draco. Draco had reappeared suddenly. Pansy had hoped that his long absence would discourage her parent's idea of them marrying, but it didn't.

They had been married three years ago at the age of twenty. They hadn't had much of a relationship for the first year, just basic tolerance. Eventually, they had formed a sort of friendship. Once Pansy's parents had moved away, they finally made the decision to divorce.

Pansy breathed in deeply, savoring the many fragrances that came with the country. She and Draco had decided to sell the Manor due to it's more than unsavory nature. Pansy had insisted on buying a home near a river.

As a child she'd always loved playing by the river side, until her parents told her that it wasn't respectable, that is. She enjoyed listening to the river in the mornings when everything else was still except for the birds chirping in the trees.

Pansy took another sip of her tea and leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She opened them reluctantly a second later as she heard a loud popping noise to her right and sighed.

"Is that any way to greet your husband?" Draco drawled, stepping onto the porch and sitting down in the opposite chair.

Pansy sat up and set down her cup. "You know, the whole concept of divorce is that I don't have to see you everyday," she said, giving him a look.

"You know you love it," Draco said pompously with a smirk.

"Why are you here, Draco?" Pansy asked impatiently.

"Fine," Draco said in a clipped tone. "I've come because this is all your fault."

"What's all my fault?" Pansy asked, not understanding.

"You and Potter. You've put him in my head. I want you to take him out!" Draco said.

"What are you talking about?" Pansy asked again, confused.

"Potter, I can't get him out of my head. All I keep seeing is him and his stupid face, calling me a Death Eater. Now, this is all your fault, so make it stop!"

"I didn't do anything, Draco," Pansy said complacently.

"You did! You told me to look around!"

"And you saw him?" Pansy asked.

"Yes--no! Not that way. He's just plaguing my thoughts. He's always there. Why did I have to buy _his_ team!"

"I couldn't tell you," Pansy said smugly.

Draco noticed her tone and narrowed his eyes. "You're doing something, aren't you?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, I'm not doing anything," Pansy said seriously.

Draco huffed at her. "Right," he said skeptically. "Why did you have to tell me that?"

"You didn't have to listen."

"Well, I did, and now it's a problem! What am I going to do!"

"Just ignore him if it's that big of a problem."

"Like it's so easy."

* * *

_A/N: please review :)_


	8. Kiss of Death

**Chapter Eight: Kiss of Death**

"Are we going to tell anyone?"

"I really don't think we should yet."

"Why not?"

"They've got their own problems, plus I don't think they'd be all that supportive of this."

"... yeah, maybe you have a point."

"Of course I do. Now shut up and kiss me."

OoOoO

Hermione strolled through the streets of Diagon Alley with Jamie in a stroller in front of her. She loved being a mother. It was everything she'd always wanted. Having a husband like Blaise was just the icing on the cake.

She hadn't trusted him at first, which was to be expected. He had been Draco Malfoy's best friend, and a well known Death Eater. She had reluctantly let him in after he actively pursued her.

Finally, she had agreed to go on one date with him. Luckily for him, he was a very good charmer and wormed his way under her skin. Hermione smiled to herself at the memory.

She stopped outside Flourish and Blott's and was just about to enter when someone shouted her name behind her. She turned to see Harry smiling and waving at her from down the street. She turned and waited for him to catch up.

He slowed to a stop as he reached the book store. He smiled at her cheerfully and reached down to pick up little Jamie. Hermione watched him carefully. "Why are you so happy?" she asked finally as Harry made faces at Jamie.

Harry smiled at her and handed back the baby. "Do I need a reason?" he said happily.

"Well, when you haven't been happy in a month, I'd say yes," Hermione said, taking back her son and settling him down in the stroller once more.

Harry just shrugged at her. "Me and Ginny haven't been fighting half so much in the past few days. I don't know what happened, but she's being nicer," he said. He frowned slightly at the fact that he didn't know why she was being nice.

"Try not to analyze it, Harry," Hermione said quickly, seeing the wheels turning in his head.

Harry remained frowning for a few seconds then sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Why question a good thing, right?" He seemed to have lost his good mood.

"Oh, don't worry, Harry," Hermione said, noticing this. "Just enjoy it while it lasts."

"Exactly," Harry muttered. "How long do you think it'll last this time?"

"I don't know, Harry," Hermione said sympathetically. She could tell he was hurting and didn't know how to fix it. She was good friends with Ginny as well, but she'd never mentioned why they were fighting so much.

"I wish I did," Harry said sadly. "Hmm...anyway, what are you doing here?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I was just going to buy a new book. There's a special edition of _Hogwarts, A History_ that's coming out."

Harry raised a puzzled eyebrow. "But you have that book memorized back to front. Why on Earth would you want to buy another copy?" he asked incredulously.

"It's a special edition. It's been amended and updated. It now contains information on the house-elf population in Hogwarts," Hermione said seriously. Harry couldn't help but laugh at her. She'd never dropped her crusade for house-elves.

"Well, I guess it's an accomplishment..." Harry said, unsure.

"Of course it is!" Hermione said, her hands on her hips. "It took years for me to convince them they should be included in the history."

"I guess that says something about you then," Harry said with a shrug.

"And what's that?" Hermione asked shrewdly.

"You're persistent," Harry said, smiling sarcastically at her.

Hermione scoffed and gave him a withering glance. "Some people would consider that a good quality."

"Maybe," Harry shrugged.

"Well, it has helped me in many situations, mainly those that _you_ got me into."

Harry grinned maniacally at her. "Don't deny we had fun in school," he said with an evil snicker.

"I didn't deny it; I just said that it was your fault."

"What about Ron? He played just as much a role as I did," Harry said, acting hurt by her accusation.

"You and I both know that Ron is not smart enough for all those schemes you did. I love him; I do, but let's just face it. He couldn't have gotten us into half that amount of trouble without you."

"Uh... yeah," Harry said, smiling.

"Right," Hermione agreed with a grin. "Well, I have to go Harry. Try not to think too much into your problems, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Harry said, a little depressed.

"Bye, Harry."

"Bye."

OoOoO

Harry walked slowly down the street on which he lived. The apartment buildings gleamed a bright white, looking as though they were perfectly built. They stared at him as he passed, kicking a pebble along the ground.

He was procrastinating. He didn't want to go back to his apartment where he knew Ginny would be waiting. It was true that they had been fighting less, but Harry got the feeling that she was just holding her tongue instead.

He wished he knew what was wrong. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why they were having so many problems. It had only started a few months ago. Harry didn't know why, but out of the blue they'd started having more frequent fights.

Harry sighed and shook his head at the ground as he walked along. He just wanted everything to go back to normal. Unfortunately, normal was not something he'd ever experienced.

Even if he and Ginny managed to reconcile their problems, there was still Malfoy. He seemed determined to make Harry's life a living hell. Harry didn't understand why Malfoy was so fixated on ruining him. Hadn't it been enough to be a Death Eater! And now, just because he had been acquitted, he has to go about taking all the shots he can get!

Without realizing it, Harry had come to the front of his building. He looked up at it and frowned. He didn't really like living an apartment, but Ginny had said it would be a good investment. He thought it was too small and would have much rather preferred a house further out in the country.

It wasn't like it mattered where he lived. Hell, he could live in Bolivia and it would be fine. He knew how to Apparate. That's all he really needed anyway. But Ginny hadn't liked that idea; she didn't want to live in the country. She preferred to live in the city, surrounded by people and cars, and everything that made noise.

Harry decided that since he was here, he might as well go in. He went into the lobby where the concierge greeted him cheerfully. Harry gave him a small smile and took the elevator to the 4th floor.

He waited impatiently for the moving box to rumble to a stop on his floor. He got out reluctantly and walked slowly down the hall, dreading what he would find at home. He had thought things were going well, but deep down he knew that it was only for the moment.

Harry entered into the apartment carefully. He looked around cautiously and let out a sigh of relief as he realized Ginny wasn't yet home. He went into the bedroom and kicked off his shoes (Ginny would kill him if he left them in the foyer again).

Since Ginny wasn't home, Harry decided to watch some TV _with_ his feet on the coffee table. He flipped on the TV and channel surfed for a while. He conjured himself a drink and some snacks and lounged on the couch.

This was where Ginny found him several hours later when she arrived home. She swung open the door to find Harry sitting lazily on the couch, munching on cookies. Ginny watched as crumbs fell down into the crevices of the couch.

She closed her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth. She took a deep calming breath before walking into the living room.

Harry saw her and immediately took down his feet. He grabbed his wand and hastily cleaned up his mess. He smiled cautiously at her, hoping to God she wasn't going to yell at him again.

"Hi, Harry," she said in a strained voice, moving swiftly past him and into the kitchen.

Harry grimaced and followed her in. "How was your day?" he asked timidly.

"It was fine," she said shortly, rummaging in a drawer for a knife.

"Do anything interesting?" he asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep the conversation alive.

"No, Harry. I didn't do anything."

"Aren't you going to talk to me?" Harry asked, exasperated.

Ginny stopped rummaging and glanced at him. She reached over and pulled out a cutting board and began to slice vegetables. "What do we need to talk about?" she asked over the noise of the knife.

"Fine, you don't want to talk, we won't talk," Harry said moodily, sitting down at the counter.

Ginny stopped cutting and looked at Harry. "Do you really think pretending to be normal will help?" she asked, fire growing in her eyes.

"Since when have we ever been normal! I wouldn't even know how to pretend!" Harry exclaimed.

"That's not the point, Harry," Ginny said dangerously. "I don't want to talk today, okay?"

"Fine, I said it was fine. I just wish you would talk to me sometimes!"

"I do talk to you. You just don't listen," Ginny said pointedly and Harry's mouth fell open.

"You only talk to me to tell me what I'm doing wrong!" he exclaimed.

"So, I do talk to you," Ginny said acidly.

"That is NOT the same!"

"It's speaking, isn't it?"

"I can't fucking believe you," Harry muttered.

"Watch your language," Ginny said sharply.

"Why! It's not like we have kids or something. It's just you and me, Ginny. You and me. I can fucking say whatever the hell I please."

"No, you can't."

"Yes, I bloody well can! You can't stop me from speaking the way I want!"

Ginny glared at Harry over the chopped vegetables. The knife in her hand had started to shake in her anger. Harry eyed it carefully, keeping a close watch on it. Ginny was breathing hard and forced herself to put down the knife.

"Harry," she said, in a voice of forced calm. "Please don't use that kind of language."

"Too late, Ginny, too fucking late," Harry said angrily and stormed out the door.

OoOoO

"Fuck! Why? WHY!"

"Why what, Potter?"

"Why are you here, Malfoy?" Harry groaned. He was standing in the middle of the Quidditch pitch, head in his hands, shaking it back and forth.

Draco stood watching him with an eyebrow raised. "I own the team, Potter. I thought you were a little smarter than that."

Harry took his face out of his hands to glare at Draco. Draco raised a challenging eyebrow and smirked.

"Fuck you, Malfoy," Harry spat.

"As much as you'd like that," Draco drawled, "I really don't think it would be a good idea."

"You are disgusting," Harry said, scowling.

"Only in your mind. Most people find me quite attractive."

"You are the most infuriating person I have ever met!" Harry yelled at him.

"Even more than your wife?" Draco asked, with an innocent smirk.

"Leave her out of this," Harry growled.

"But why? It's her fault anyway, right?"

"Shut up!" Harry yelled, balling up his fists in an effort to control himself.

"What? Don't like hearing that your marriage is a failure?"

"You don't know anything about my marriage," Harry hissed, advancing closer to Draco, willing himself not to hit the smirking blond in front of him.

"I know enough to tell you that you're fighting a losing battle," Draco hissed back.

They were now inches apart. Harry was breathing heavily from the combined efforts of not punching Draco along with trying to control his temper. He didn't suppose Wood would be too happy if he punched the team owner.

"Just stop now," Harry warned him. He could see the malice shining behind Draco's silver-blue eyes as he glared into them.

Draco's smirk was infuriating. "I'll never stop," he said, eyes glinting.

Harry couldn't stand it anymore. In a split second, he was on top of Draco, hitting every inch he could reach. Draco made a muffled sound, somewhere between a noise of indignance and surprise. Harry's dominance didn't last long.

Draco pushed Harry off of him and rolled over so that he was on top. Harry struggled violently against Draco's weight. He yelled angrily and kneed Draco in the stomach.

Draco glared at him angrily and pushed him down onto the ground hard. Harry grabbed Draco's arm and pulled on it violently, causing him to fall on top of Harry. Harry twisted the arm around and Draco yelped in pain.

He jerked his arm out of Harry's grasp and punched him in the face. Harry recovered immediately from the hit and glared daggers at Draco. He lunged upward and felt his head connect with Draco's.

He didn't fall back though. His lips had connected with Draco's and he was frozen. He didn't know what to do. Neither was moving until Draco opened his mouth slightly and licked Harry's lips.

Harry let out a surprised gasp. In that few seconds, Draco took full advantage of the open mouth. He slipped his tongue into Harry's mouth, tasting him.

To Harry's horror and astonishment, he began to respond to the kiss.

Draco deepened it, pulling on Harry's lower lip.

Harry could feel Draco's tongue caressing his mouth, licking and nibbling. His eyes had been wide in horror but they now began to drift closed.

That is, until he realized what the hell was going on. He made a startled noise and pushed Draco away forcefully and scrambled to his feet.

"What the fuck was that!" he exclaimed, wiping off his mouth with his sleeve. Draco remained on the grass, staring at the spot Harry had been. He had an odd expression on his face, one that Harry couldn't discern.

Harry didn't wait for a response. Instead, he turned and practically sprinted off the field.


	9. Convincing Arguments

**Chapter Nine: Convincing Arguments**

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Harry cursed.

He was pacing around a large open field on the edge of a forest. The trees loomed ominously over him, trying to draw him in. He was pacing just off the edge of it in the afternoon sun.

He threw his hands up in frustration as he walked around in circles.

_What the fuck was I thinking! What the hell was that!_ Harry thought, panicking. He didn't know what had just happened. He couldn't explain any of it. One minute they'd been fighting and the next, he was kissing Draco Malfoy!

_'How did that happen!'_

Harry shook his head in disbelief. He wasn't gay! And he didn't want Malfoy! Harry shuddered at the very thought.

_No, it-it just happened,_ Harry told himself forcefully. _It was an accident!_

Right. Accident. Harry forced himself to stop pacing and took a deep breath. It would be fine. Everything would be fine.

He would just have to ignore Draco from now on. This didn't mean anything. It was an accident. Harry contented himself with those thoughts and decided it was probably time her went home. Ginny would still be angry at him for earlier, but it was better than trying to analyze the recent events.

OoOoOoO

"Don't you know how to knock?"

"What were you doing, Pansy?"

"Nothing," she said acidly, pulling her black silk robe closer to her body and glaring at Draco. Draco raised a disbelieving eyebrow and she scowled at him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, tying the robe closed. Draco sighed dramatically and pushed past her and into the house. Pansy sighed resignedly and followed him in.

Draco plopped down on the couch and waited for Pansy to join him. When she had perched herself carefully on the couches arm, he looked at her. "I hope you're happy," he said finally.

Pansy looked confused and taken aback. "Uh... what?" she asked, unsure.

Draco huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms, looking like a pouting child. "You did this to me. Now Potter is in my head and it's all your fault!"

"Not this again," Pansy sighed.

"Yes, this again!" Draco exclaimed. "I just kissed him and it's all your fault!"

"Wait, you what?" Pansy asked, sure that she hadn't heard correctly.

"I-we--he--Ah! We kissed, okay!"

Pansy sat back on the arm of the couch and smiled a smug smile. Draco just glared at her.

"Did you like it?" she asked and Draco's eyes widened in horror and his mouth fell open. He snapped it shut moments later though and his eyes threw fire at her.

"What kind of a question is that!" he exclaimed indignantly.

"It's a simple yes or no question, quite routine," Pansy replied calmly.

Draco simply scowled at her. "Well, I'm not going to answer it," he said stubbornly, turning up his nose at her and looking away.

"You don't have to," Pansy said, trying to suppress her smile. "Your silence tells it all."

"Fuck off, Pansy," Draco growled.

"You came to me, remember?"

"Well, this isn't what I wanted to hear!" he exclaimed.

"I'm not going to lie to you. It's obvious that you enjoyed it. In fact, I'm surprised he wasn't the first person to come to your mind anyway..." Pansy trailed away, thinking.

"Why, because I've hated him for so long?" Draco asked snidely.

"No," Pansy replied calmly "because you've always been drawn to him in some way."

Draco scowled darkly at her but didn't contest her words. "So that means I should have just jumped him the first chance I got, eh?" he asked acidly, still angry.

Pansy rolled her eyes at his tone and sighed. "No, but that doesn't mean you can't still."

"Oh, fuck you," Draco said angrily. "I would never do that. Potter is disgusting. It's a shame the Dark Lord didn't kill him the million times he had the chance."

"Well, you know how bad he was with things like that," Pansy amended.

Draco shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Well, thanks, Pansy. You've been a real help," he said sarcastically, pushing himself off the couch. He sauntered angrily to the door and pushed it open. He strode down the front path and Apparated once he reached the end.

Pansy stood in the door way, leaning on the door frame. She shook her head as she watched him go.

"I really need to put up wards on this place," she muttered to herself before turning around and retreating back inside.

OoOoOoO

Ron walked along the streets of Diagon Alley, browsing in the shops. He stopped as he came to Quality Quidditch Supplies. There was a brand new MoonStar3000 in the window. He stood mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the shining wood, gleaming on its stand in the window.

His eyes became glassed over as he stared at the beauty before him. He raised a hand and placed it longingly on the window. He stared hopelessly at the magnificent broom in front of him.

"Ron?"

Ron continued to stare at the broom in the window.

"Ron!" Ron jerked back from the window, quickly wiping his mouth.

"Oh, uh, hi, Hermione," he said quickly, shaking his head to get rid of the enraptured expression.

Hermione eyed him carefully, then her gaze strayed to the broom and she grinned. "Fantasizing over what you can't have again, Ron?" she asked.

"Hello to you too, Hermione," Ron sighed, turning away from the brooms. Hermione smiled at him, her eyes shining. Ron smiled slightly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

"Nothin'," Ron shrugged, starting to walk down the street.

Hermione fell into step with him. "How have you been?" she asked. "I haven't seen you for a while."

"The same. Not much happening really," Ron said indifferently.

Hermione frowned slightly. Their relationship hadn't affected their friendship, luckily, which was why Hermione found his aloofness odd. "How's work?" she said in an effort to keep the small talk up.

"It was funny," Ron said, smiling. "The other day, I came into the office and Berks was flying around the room holding onto one of those Muggle airplanes, you know, the model kind? Well, someone had enchanted it and it was flying all over the place. It was so funny!"

Ron laughed to himself at the memory while Hermione smiled at him.

"So you're doing well, then?" Hermione asked sincerely.

Ron gave her an odd look. "Of course," he said. "Why wouldn't I?"

"No reason," Hermione said evasively.

Ron looked at her closely but seemed to decide she was telling the truth. "Well, I have to get to work," he said.

"Okay, I'll see you around?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, sure," Ron agreed. He smiled once and waved goodbye then Apparated away.

"Something is wrong with that boy," Hermione said to herself before turning around and going back up the street in the direction she'd come.

OoOoOoO

"Harry? We need to talk."

The second Harry heard those words, his heart began to race. This could not possibly be good. He swallowed his heart that had jumped into his throat and turned around slowly on the couch.

Ginny was standing in the door to the kitchen, looking nervous. Harry gave her a questioning look and she avoided his gaze and looked at the floor.

"Could you come here, please?" she asked, sounding timid. Harry stood up cautiously as though sure it was a trap. Ginny turned and moved into the kitchen. Harry followed carefully.

She sat down at the counter and indicated he should do the same. He took his seat, still unsure.

"What's going on?" he asked finally.

She looked down at her hands which she had laid on the counter top. "Harry, I realize we've been fighting an awful lot."

"Yeah," Harry muttered darkly.

Ginny narrowed her eyes, but seemed to force herself to be calm. "Yes, well, I don't like it. I think we should try to be nicer to one another."

Harry didn't say anything for a few minutes. He seemed to be contemplating her words. She watched him carefully, biting her lip in uncertainty. Finally, Harry shifted on his stool and looked at her carefully. "You're right. I hate fighting like this. I just want everything to go back to how it was."

Ginny let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you agree," she said. She walked up to him and hugged him.

He stood up off his chair and pulled her close. He stood there, stroking her long auburn hair, wondering why it felt different all of the sudden.

She pulled away at length and smiled at him. He forced himself to smile back. He was glad that they had come to some kind of truce, but something deep down pulled on his brain telling him it could only last so long.

Ginny moved away from him and grabbed a bowl of popcorn and went into the living room. Harry followed her in a dazed fashion, as though he couldn't believe what had just happened.

He joined her on the couch and absentmindedly ate the popcorn in the proffered bowl. They watched the TV in silence for a while. Harry didn't know what to say. Despite the noise of the TV, there was a sort of awkward silence that hung over them.

"So," Ginny said eventually, "how's Malfoy as the owner of the team?"

Harry very nearly choked on his mouthful of popcorn. He managed to stop coughing long enough to summon a bottle of water.

Ginny watched him in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Harry choked out. "I just... swallowed too much."

He took a big gulp of water and continued to cough slightly. Ginny still looked a little alarmed. He finally stopped coughing and took a deep breath.

"Malfoy is horrible, as always," Harry said, finally answering her question.

Ginny nodded understandingly and finally looked away from Harry. "I don't suppose he's changed at all since school?"

"Not really..." Harry said.

"Is he still being horrible to you?" she asked sympathetically.

"Yeah," Harry affirmed. _And now it seems he's found a new form of torture,_ he added to himself.

"That's too bad. I guess you'll just have to ignore him, right?"

"Right," Harry said, giving her a smile. She returned it encouragingly and snuggled into his side to watch the rest of the show.

_Right... Ignore him. I'm sure that'll work,_ he thought sarcastically. He slid his arm around Ginny and settled in to watch the TV.

A week later found Harry at Quidditch practice once again. He had been lucky so far that Draco had not shown up to any of the practices lately, but Harry knew it was only a matter of time before he would come again to torment him.

To Harry's dismay, today was that day. Draco sat in the stands watching the practice, not making a peep. Harry knew something had to be going on. When the practice ended, the team reconvened in the middle of the pitch.

"Good practice, everyone," Wood said encouragingly. Then he lowered his voice. "I'm glad to see that having Malfoy around hasn't lowered your spirits."

Harry just rolled his eyes and scoffed. Wood frowned at him. Wood opened his mouth to say something, but just then, Draco walked up behind Harry and Wood shut his mouth.

"Malfoy, I hope everything went well?" Wood asked, giving him a smile.

"Not bad," Draco said coolly, showing no emotion. Harry rolled his eyes in disgust and Wood gave him a look.

"Well, that's good. If that's all then, team, to the locker rooms." Wood ushered them off the field. Harry turned to follow the rest but was called back.

"Potter!" Draco called to him. Harry stopped and gritted his teeth. He didn't want to talk to or face Malfoy at this point. He turned around slowly, trying to control his emotions. He wasn't about to let what happened last time happen again.

"Yes, Malfoy?" he asked in a voice of forced calm.

"You were off today," Draco said.

"Off?" Harry repeated, his eyebrows furrowed. This wasn't exactly what he'd expected.

"Now, I know we've already been over this, but you need to fix whatever marital problems you have. I don't suppose anything I said before made it through that thick skull of yours," Draco said disdainfully.

Harry glared at him, willing himself to control his temper. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Not that it's any of your business, but Ginny and I are doing fine."

It was partially true. They hadn't had any big arguments lately. Harry could tell that Ginny was trying really hard. He knew that look she got when she was trying to hold in her anger.

"Tell yourself whatever you want, Potter. Just get back on form. Got it?" Draco asked harshly.

Harry closed his eyes, praying for patience. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth.

Draco smirked and walked slowly toward him. Harry watched him through unsure eyes. Draco came until he was within a foot of Harry. Harry didn't move, partially for fear of what was about to happen, and partially because he almost didn't want to walk away.

Draco raised a hand softly traced Harry's jaw line. Harry stared at him in shock, unable to do anything. He moved the hand around to the back of Harry's neck. He pulled Harry forward roughly. Their lips were inches away.

Harry breathing was erratic, partially for fear, partially for something else that Harry couldn't place. His eyes were wide. Draco was smirking evilly at him and his silver-blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

"Good, I wouldn't want to have to punish you," Draco whispered quietly, his warm breath ghosting over Harry's own lips. Draco leaned in and kissed Harry's lower lip lightly.

Harry blinked for half a second. When he opened his eyes, Draco was gone. Harry blinked quickly and looked around. He was no where to be seen. Harry let out the breath he'd been holding in ever since Draco had pulled him forward.

He turned to walk back to the locker rooms. It was only then that he realized he had a very obvious problem.

* * *

_A/N: Please review:)_


	10. Ingenious Ideas

**Chapter Ten: Ingenious Ideas**

_What did I just do?_ Draco thought to himself. He was back in his house, sitting on his couch and staring at the empty fireplace.

He was reliving what had just happened on the Quidditch pitch. After all that time, a whole week he had forced himself not to go to the practices where he knew Harry would be, he had made the same mistake twice.

He hated Potter and always had. He'd never found him attractive! Never!

_Well..._ spoke up his inner voice, _there was that one time... _

What one time? Draco thought fervidly.

_You know, way back in school, you two had a fight, it turned physical and... _

No! That was nothing. I hate him! Draco retorted angrily.

He hated that Potter was having some kind of effect on him. He hated the way his body responded to the raven-haired man. He knew that Harry responded the same way and it bothered him.

He hated how he couldn't seem to control himself. He wanted to stop this all before it got out of hand. But then again, maybe not. It might be fun to mess with Harry's head a bit.

Draco sat and ruminated on that thought momentarily. He admitted that the prospect of playing around with perfect Harry Potter was very appealing. His marriage was already on the rocks...what was the harm in pushing it along? Maybe if he was lucky, it would fall off the cliffs and Draco could watch him flounder.

Draco stood up walked over to the ornate fireplace. He grabbed a handful of the powder from the bowl on the mantle and threw it into the grate. Immediately, green flames sprung up. Draco leaned down and called into the fire.

"Blaise, get your ass in here."

Draco moved back to the couch and sat down gracefully. He watched as a swirling figure appeared in the flames. Seconds later, Blaise came out of the grate, brushing soot off his clothes. He gave Draco a questioning look.

"What?" he asked. Draco gave him a withering look and indicated that he should have a seat.

Blaise sat down on the couch and waited for Draco to say something more. Draco shifted slightly and turned to face Blaise, one leg tucked underneath him.

"I have just had an ingenious idea," Draco said with a smirk.

Blaise raised his eyebrows, intrigued. "Really? And what might that be?" he asked, starting to grin. He knew Draco's plans were always ingenious and cleverly disguised.

"I have discovered a certain something about a certain someone that I can use to my great advantage and our amusement."

"Who is this certain someone?" Blaise asked.

"The one and only, Harry Potter," Draco drawled, eyes glittering maliciously.

"Potter?" Blaise repeated doubtfully. He knew Hermione wouldn't like it one bit if she knew he was cavorting with Draco to make Potter's life a living hell.

"You don't have to tell the wife," Draco sneered, knowing what Blaise was thinking.

Blaise scowled at him. "She'd figure it out anyway," he said grudgingly.

Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You're a Slytherin, well versed in the many ways of lying. Surely you haven't forgotten?"

"Like I could forget that," Blaise replied scathingly. "It's only been five years, Draco. We're not old yet."

"And I never will be," Draco said pompously and Blaise snorted. Draco scowled at him but continued anyway. "_Anyway_, I figured out a way to have a little fun."

"What are your plans?"

"I've discovered that the Golden Boy has a little secret I'm not sure even he knows about yet. I intend to use it to my advantage."

"What kind of secret?"

"It seems The Chosen One likes broomsticks a little more than we thought," Draco said with a significant glance. A look of dawning comprehension appeared on Blaise's face and he smirked evilly, his old Slytherin nature coming back.

"Interesting," Blaise said, eyes glittering.

"Yes, it is," Draco agreed slyly. "How do you think the Weaselette would be if she knew her perfect little husband like shagging men?"

"Ah, but wait," Blaise interjected. "We don't even know that he does. What makes you so sure?"

"I've had some experience," Draco alluded.

"You mean, you've--"

"Nothing like that," Draco said quickly, seeing the direction Blaise was heading, "just a few run-ins." Draco shuddered at the memory.

"What's your plan then?"

"Seduce him then we'll see where that takes us," Draco said with an evil smirk.

"You're not going to shag him, are you?" Blaise asked, concerned.

"God, no," Draco said in disgust. "I hope it doesn't get that far."

"Yeah," Blaise agreed. "When are you going to start this devious plan of yours?"

"As soon as can be, my friend," Draco said, gaining his smirk back.

"Well, let me know how it goes," Blaise said, rising from the couch.

Draco didn't move but watched him go. "Alright," he said, bored.

Blaise gave him a last sly eyebrow raise before stepping back into the green flames that had sprung up from the powder he'd grabbed. He was gone in the whooshing of green flames.

Draco stretched luxuriously and leaned back on the couch. "Ah, this is going to be good."

OoOoO

Harry walked stiffly back to his apartment. His erection had long since gone down, due mainly to his fervid thoughts that it was disgusting. How could he do something like that?!

He loved Ginny. He loved her, and he had married her. He didn't like guys in any way, shape, or form. No, not at all. What had happened on the pitch was entirely Malfoy's fault.

It was only out of fear that Harry's body had reacted in the way that it had; entirely out of fear. Right, fear.

Harry reached his door and took a deep breath. He let it out slowly, calming himself before he faced Ginny. He knew that if he came in mad, she would be automatically suspicious.

"Hey, I'm home!" he called as he walked through the door. He took off his jacket and hung it on the rack by the door. He toed off his shoes and walked in his socks to the kitchen.

Ginny was there, slicing some vegetables. Harry watched as she cut through the celery in one fluid motion.

"How come you don't use your wand for that?" he asked. He had always wondered about that. After two years of marriage, she still refused to use magic for cooking. She said that it had to be done by hand, or it just wasn't the same.

Ginny sighed and set down the knife. She looked up at Harry with a withering look on her face. She closed her eyes for half a second as though praying for patience.

"How was practice?" she asked finally, seeming to get herself under control.

Harry grabbed a celery stick and bit off the end. "Fine," he said while crunching away.

Ginny looked at him but then shook her head slightly, as if she was refraining from saying something. "Anything interesting happen?" she asked in the spirit of continuing the conversation.

"Uh..." Harry trailed away. Ginny gave him an odd look, and Harry quickly shoved the rest of the celery stick into his mouth.

This gave him at least a few moments to be able to lie smoothly. When he finally crunched up the last of the celery, he swallowed and answered her question.

"Yeah, Wood got really mad at Schiller and made him clean off the bludgers, without the restraints," Harry lied. Ginny appeared satisfied with his answer and returned to chopping the vegetables.

Harry sighed inwardly and reached for another piece of celery. He felt bad lying to her, but he knew he couldn't tell her any of what had happened in the last week. Besides, they'd just made their truce and he really didn't want to end it so soon.

"Well, that's too bad," Ginny said to the celery, in response to Harry.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Well, I'm going to go read a book."

Harry waited for a response from Ginny. He received a barely visible nod which he deemed enough. Obviously, she wasn't happy about something, but he wouldn't be the one to bring it up.

He walked into their bedroom and flopped down on the bed, grabbing a random book of the shelf near the bed. He tried to read but couldn't concentrate properly.

Eventually, he threw down the book and lay down on the bed, his head resting on the pillow, staring at the ceiling. He didn't know what to do. The logical thing was to ignore Malfoy completely, but that didn't seem to be working quite so well.

Harry sighed and closed his eyes, trying not to think about it. Analyzing wouldn't help anything. After a time, Harry felt the bed depress.

He opened his eyes and saw Ginny crawling onto the bed. She moved over him and kissed him softly. When she pulled away, she smiled at him and snuggled in next to him. Harry absentmindedly pulled her closer, wondering to himself why it felt so wrong all of a sudden.

OoOoO

"Harry, I need to talk to you."

Harry sighed, knowing no good could come from this. He followed Wood out of the locker rooms and stood, waiting.

Wood fidgeted slightly as if he didn't know how to tell Harry whatever it was. "Harry, are you okay?" he asked finally, facing Harry.

Harry was slightly taken aback. It hadn't been what he'd been expecting. "What do you mean?" he asked, confused. Wood sighed, making it seem as if this was what he'd been expecting. Harry furrowed his eyebrows at him.

"It's just, you've seemed distracted lately, and I don't want Malfoy to fire you. The team needs you," Wood said desperately.

Harry looked at him in disbelief. "Oliver, you heard him," he said calmly. "He can't fire me."

"He can't, but that doesn't mean he might not want to," Wood said seriously.

"Don't worry about it," Harry said comfortingly. "I'll handle Malfoy." He said the last part in bitterness.

Wood gave him an uncertain look, but appeared appeased. "Alright, just try to pay attention. Don't get hit by a Bludger."

Harry laughed and slapped Wood on the back. Wood managed a small smile and walked with Harry back to the changing rooms. The rest of the team was there, waiting for them.

Wood smiled at the team and opened his mouth to speak. He never got that far as the door was thrown open and Draco strode inside.

He surveyed the room momentarily. His eyes lingered on Harry for half a second. Harry scowled and looked away. Draco smirked slightly but wiped it from his face moments later as he faced Wood.

"Fly well today. I'll be watching," he said in a cryptic manner. Then he turned and left the room.

The team was left speechless. Even Wood couldn't manage to find anything to say. In the end, he shrugged and motioned for the team to follow him outside. They did so, if not a little unwillingly.

Harry could see Draco seated in the stands. Harry wished violently that he would just leave him alone. He knew that was impossible though. In all the years Harry had ever known him, Draco had never missed an opportunity to degrade him.

Harry mounted his broom and took off. The wind whooshed through his hair, leaving it even wilder and messier than it had been before. He'd never managed to learn how to control it, despite Hermione's prodding's.

Harry flew around the stadium, almost forgetting Draco's presence. That is, until he glanced down and saw the blond hair shining in the sun. Harry groaned to himself. It was lost in the wind however as he whistled past the goal posts.

Four hours later, Harry landed on the grass, exhausted and sweaty. Wood had forced them to use some of their best moves in practice. The rest of the team landed around him, waiting for Wood to dismiss them.

Wood glanced over at Draco, who hadn't quitted the stands yet, and back to his team.

"Well, I guess you can go," he said, sounding unsure. The team disbanded and walked back to the locker rooms, muttering to themselves. Harry stopped at the door and looked back to the field.

Draco had come down and was talking to Wood. From Harry's point of view, it looked serious. Wood nodded to Draco and walked away. Harry watched Wood walk off the field in the opposite direction. He had half a mind to go after him, but he really needed to shower.

Harry sighed and watched the place where Wood had left through for several minutes. He heard people leaving from inside the locker room. He knew he needed to get going. Ginny would start to wonder where he was soon.

He turned to go back in the locker room and found it barred by none other than Draco Malfoy. He sighed in annoyance. "Malfoy," he said angrily. "Move."

Draco pushed himself off the door frame and looked directly at Harry, staring into his emerald green eyes. "Go ahead," he said, moving aside to let Harry by. Harry looked at him suspiciously before slipping past him as fast as he could. Draco smirked and followed him in.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" Harry asked, noticing that he had come in after him.

"Can't the owner inspect his own facilities?" Draco asked innocently.

Harry scowled at him. "Not when the owner is you," he replied snidely.

Draco smirked at Harry's wit. "Looks like school wasn't wasted on you after all," he drawled and Harry scowled.

"Fuck off," Harry snarled. He grabbed a towel and started to walk toward the showers.

"No," Draco said quietly.

Harry stopped and turned around. He couldn't believe how hard Draco had to make everything. "Fuck, Malfoy. Just leave me alone!"

Draco sauntered slowly towards Harry, and Harry's eyes widened in fear. He backed up until he hit the cold stone wall of the building. Draco stood about a foot away, clearly enjoying the terror in Harry's eyes.

He lifted his hands and placed one on either side of Harry, boxing him in. "Now, Potter, you know you don't want me to do that," he said, pouting. He smirked a second later, though, and it ruined the effect.

Harry didn't really notice, though. He was too preoccupied with Draco's closeness. All he could think was that here he was... again. And he couldn't get out of the situation. He swallowed hard, his nerves growing taut.

Draco quirked an eyebrow and moved his body close, pressing it flush against Harry's. Harry gasped involuntarily as he realized that he was hard and Draco was too. Draco shifted slightly and Harry squeezed his eyes shut.

"Shit," he cursed quietly to himself. He was stuck with no where to go and a hard-on. How much worse could this get? When he opened his eyes, Draco was still smirking at him, though he was much closer than Harry remembered.

Draco could see the lust in Harry's darkened eyes, although Harry would have adamantly denied that. He found that he liked this position. The former Gryffindor was powerless against him.

He pushed his erection into Harry's with a little more force, enjoying the way Harry gasped. He could tell that Harry was working up the courage to tell him to fuck off again. Draco decided to move ahead.

He leaned in as though in slow motion and kissed Harry slowly. Harry was frozen for a moment. His brain screamed that this was wrong, but his mouth wasn't listening. It opened slightly, allowing Draco to slip his tongue in and taste all that was Harry.

Harry's hands, on their own accord, moved up to Draco's sides, running up and down his torso. Draco deepened the kiss, moving one of his hands to tangle in Harry's hair. Harry moaned slightly as Draco's tongue caressed his mouth.

Draco pulled away with a final nip to Harry's bottom lip and smirked in a self satisfied way. Harry looked dazed and confused. With a final peck, Draco stepped back from the stunned boy.

"Aren't you glad I didn't leave?" he asked. He turned and walked from the room then, leaving Harry leaning helplessly against the wall.

* * *

_A/N: please review:)_


	11. Shower Secrets

**Chapter Eleven: Shower Secrets**

_What the hell is wrong with me?!_ Harry thought desperately. He was sitting hunched over on one of the benches in the changing room. It had been half an hour since Draco had left.

Harry rubbed his face vigorously, as though trying to wipe away the kiss. It wouldn't leave though.

The feeling of Draco's soft lips on his lingered. He could still feel Draco's silky tongue invading his senses, driving him crazy; his hands in his hair, tugging and pulling. Harry groaned and rested his head on his knees.

_Why did I react?!_ Harry wondered. He cursed his body for responding to Draco.

_It's only because Ginny and I haven't been together in a couple months,_ Harry told himself carefully. That was it, just his hormones, something he couldn't control.

_I should be able to control them though!_ Harry thought adamantly. He'd never had a problem in school with controlling his feelings. Harry knew that what he was feeling was wrong.

For one, he hated Malfoy! He always had and always would. For two, he wasn't gay! He'd never in his life been attracted to a male. That party where Seamus had kissed him, it hadn't meant anything. And for three, he was married to Ginny for Merlin's sake!

_I love Ginny!_ he asserted to himself.

Harry groaned to himself and rubbed his face vigorously. He needed to stop thinking about this. It wasn't going to help any.

"Harry?"

Harry's head snapped up at the voice. Wood was standing in the doorway, looking tired and careworn.

Harry stood up quickly. "Oliver, what are you doing here?" he asked.

To his surprise, Wood sighed and came in and sat down on the bench next to Harry. Harry sat back down, looking at him curiously.

"I have some bad news," Wood said, sounding depressed.

Harry cocked his head to the side, knowing it had to be bad if Wood was acting like this. "What is it?" he asked cautiously.

"Malfoy wants me to fire Sarah and Andi. I knew they weren't doing that great, but I was trying to give them time," Wood said sadly.

"But..." Harry said. He couldn't find anything to say. Sarah and Andi were two of their Chasers. Granted, they hadn't been flying so well lately, but still.

Wood sighed again and stared at the floor.

"I'm sorry, Oliver," Harry said sympathetically. "Malfoy's just a git."

"No," Wood said slowly. "He's right, unfortunately. I'll have to do it soon."

Harry didn't say anything. He patted Wood comfortingly on the shoulder then sat quietly for a while.

Eventually, Wood looked up at him. "Why are you here, Harry? Shouldn't you be getting home?"

"Uh..." Harry said. He couldn't tell Wood what was going on between him and Malfoy. He also didn't want to admit his current marriage problems with Ginny. "Yeah, I better be going," he said, standing up from the bench. Wood rose with him and walked out of the room to the apparition point.

Before Harry disappeared, he turned to Wood. "Don't worry, we'll find some good replacements."

"Yeah," Wood sighed. "You're probably right."

Harry smiled at him and then Apparated away. Wood turned and walked dejectedly back to the changing rooms.

OoOoO

"Pansy! Take down the fucking wards!"

"Oh, shit!"

"What do we do?"

"Get out, now!"

"But the wards..."

"Then go out the back!"

"But I don't--"

"Go, now!"

"Pansy! Open the fucking door!"

"Hold on, Draco!"

Pansy scrambled around, grabbing a shirt and throwing it on. She watched as the back door swung shut and she let out the breath she'd been holding. She walked to the front door and opened it calmly.

Draco stood on the front porch, looking to be in a very foul mood. Pansy rolled her eyes as he stormed past her and into the house.

"Why do you find this necessary, Draco?" she asked in annoyance, following him into the living room.

Draco was looking around the living room. He walked over to a chair and picked up a pair of discarded men's boxers. "Having a little fun, were we?"

Pansy strode over and snatched away the undergarments. "Just because you're not getting any doesn't mean you should take your frustrations out on me," she said snidely. She tossed the boxers into her bedroom and shut the door.

Draco huffed dramatically and sat down on the couch.

Pansy rolled her eyes and accompanied him. "So what is it now?" she asked.

"Potter," Draco said grudgingly.

"Again?" Pansy asked in exasperation.

"Yes, again," Draco said angrily.

"What did he do this time?"

"It wasn't something he did."

"You mean, _you_ did something wrong?" Pansy asked incredulously.

"I didn't say that," Draco said scathingly, narrowing his eyes.

"Right," Pansy said quickly, correcting herself.

"Right," Draco agreed warningly. "Anyway, so I thought I would have a little fun with Potter."

"Fun? How do you mean, fun?" Pansy asked cautiously.

"Just a little basic manipulation, nothing too complicated," Draco drawled, clearly pleased with himself.

"What is your plan then?" Pansy asked, interested. She could see where this would end up if Draco wasn't stupid enough to mess it up.

"I'm going to bring out a side he never knew he had, expose him to the Weaselette and watch him flounder."

"How are you going to do this?" Pansy asked.

"That would be the downside of the plan," Draco said darkly.

"And it is...?" Sshe pressed.

"I have to seduce him," Draco said with a shudder.

Pansy couldn't help it as she began to laugh at the irony of it all.

Draco glared at her as she dissolved into laughter. "Do you mind?" he asked snidely.

Pansy continued to laugh for some time until she was finally able to gather herself together. She sat, gasping for breath, trying to calm down. "Well," she choked out finally. "That shouldn't be a problem for you."

"It's not a problem, it's just disgusting," Draco said.

Pansy snapped her mouth shut trying to keep in the laughter that was threatening once more. "You can do it, Draco," she said reassuringly.

Draco eyed her suspiciously but apparently decided she was being sincere. "I guess I can," he said grudgingly.

"I'm sure you will."

OoOoO

Harry walked into his apartment and took off his jacket. It had been getting colder lately. The wind was starting to become bitter and angry. It whipped through the streets, blowing everything everywhere. Soon the snow would come and all would turn to the usual winter wonderland.

For now though, it was only just November. Harry slipped off his shoes and padded in his socks into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. He took it out to the living room and sat down on the couch.

He grabbed one of the magazines (Quidditch Weekly) that was sitting on the coffee table and leafed through it. He set the cold bottle down on the wooden table and set his feet up.

He became engrossed in an article about the new broom models and didn't notice the front door opening and the tell tale signs of someone coming in. He didn't notice as Ginny walked further into the living room. He didn't notice when she stopped and placed her hands on her hips, or when she stood watching him for at least five minutes.

Ginny waited for Harry to realize, wondering exactly how long it would take him. Finally, after about five minutes, Harry looked up from the magazine. He nearly jumped when he saw her. He quickly removed his feet from the table and smiled at her nervously.

"Harry," Ginny said dangerously.

_Oh no,_ Harry thought automatically.

"How long has that bottle been sitting there?" she asked, indicating the bottle of water that was no longer cold.

Harry realized far too late that it was not sitting on one of the many coasters Ginny had bought. "Not that long," he lied, picking it up quickly and moving to a designated coaster. Ginny seemed to be contemplating whether or not to push the issue. To Harry's great relief, she remained silent and disappeared into the bed room.

She came out a second later though, her eyes flashing. She glared at Harry from behind his head. "Harry," she said in a voice of forced calm.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, completely unaware.

"What is that in our room?" she asked, trying to control her temper.

"What?" he asked, turning around to look at her.

Her eyes flashed with fire. "That eyesore," she growled.

"What eyesore?" Harry asked, beginning to get defensive.

She huffed and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him into the room and pointing at a large poster. "That!"

"It's just Quidditch," Harry said. It was indeed Quidditch; a large poster containing pictures of Harry's team. They were all in the matching blue and silver uniforms, zooming around the poster.

"Why is it in here?!" Ginny demanded.

Harry was taken aback. "Why wouldn't it be?" he asked.

"It's a bedroom. You don't put these in bedrooms, or in any room for that matter. It's a huge eyesore!"

"It's my team!" Harry exclaimed indignantly.

"I know, but it doesn't belong here."

"It's my house too!" Harry yelled. "You can't tell me what I can and can't put up!"

"Harry, I am your wife, and you will listen to me!"

"No!" Harry exclaimed. "This is supposed to be a compromise, and I don't see any, Ginny. Where is it?"

Ginny huffed angrily, glaring at Harry. Harry glared right back, unwilling to give in this time.

"Fine, Harry. But that is coming down, no matter what."

"Go ahead and try," Harry said scathingly. He turned on his heel and strode from the room.

OoOoO

Over the next few days, Ginny tried fruitlessly to take down the poster, but Harry was just a tiny but smarter than her and had taken a leaf out of Sirius' mother's book. He had put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the back that only he could remove.

Ginny glared at him whenever she caught sight of the poster peeking out from the room. Harry did nothing, said nothing. He wasn't about to give in. He was incredibly angry at her for her lack of caring. She didn't seem to care about his feelings at all.

The next Monday came and Harry went off to work. Ginny watched him through narrowed eyes clearly still angry. Harry just ignored her as he'd done for the past few days.

When he arrived at work, he found the team short two players. Sarah and Andi were absent. Wood looked dejected and didn't have his usual enthusiasm today. He just shrugged at the team and led them out to the field for practice.

The practice went okay. The team was in a dull mood. It went slowly and tediously. They were all glad when it was over. Wood led them all to the showers then retreated to his office.

Harry watched as Wood opened the door and walked inside dejectedly. He wished there was something he could do. Harry turned back and went to take a shower.

He stripped off his clothes and wrapped a towel around his waist. He was in no hurry to return home today and face Ginny again, so he took the longest shower possible. He heard the other members finishing up and leaving. Soon, he was the only occupant left.

Draco stood just outside the door of the locker rooms. He watched as everyone except Harry left the room. Even Wood came out before him. Draco was somewhat hidden as he watched them all leave. Once the last person was out of sight, he crept into the room.

He looked around carefully and saw Harry's gear lying near his locker. Draco smirked to himself and continued on to the showers. He heard the water in the end one and made his way to it.

There stood Harry in all his glory. Draco was shocked for a moment. His eyes traveled over Harry's glistening body. The water cascaded over his taut Quidditch muscles, his golden tanned body, and his perfect ass.

Harry was completely unaware that Draco was standing only feet away, gaping at his body. Draco shook himself mentally. He moved quietly and stripped off his shirt. He left his jeans on, though, and stood in the doorway of the shower.

Harry turned around and his eyes shot wide open.

"Malfoy!"

* * *

A/N: The next 2 chapters are almost my favorite in the entire fic I think. Review and we shall see them soon:) Mondays ;) 


	12. What a Predicament

**Chapter Twelve: What a Predicament**

Draco smirked, satisfied.

Harry scrambled to cover himself up. He was glaring at Draco, who stood shirtless at the entrance to the shower. "What the fuck are you doing?" he demanded.

Draco quirked an eyebrow, continuing to smirk his infuriating smile. "Why, joining you, of course," he said smoothly.

Harry watched in horror as Draco stripped off his jeans and boxers and stepped inside the stall with him. Harry backed away as far as he could go which, granted, wasn't very much. He covered his eyes and spoke to the wall, holding out a hand to stop Draco coming any closer.

"What--stop! You can't--Malfoy, get out!"

Draco scoffed and snickered slightly. He quite enjoyed watching Harry panic so much. He moved further into the stall, trapping Harry against the back wall. Harry looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I think we both know you don't want that," Draco drawled, taking an obvious glance downward.

Harry was still covering himself up, though an erection was starting to grow, to his annoyance. He blushed and glared at Draco. He was angry at him for everything. "Malfoy," Harry growled, trying to ignore the growing erection. "If you don't get out of here right now, I'm going to--"

"You're going to what?" Draco asked mischievously, moving closer to Harry so that they're wet bodies were almost touching. Harry swallowed hard, wishing he was anywhere else.

Despite his predicament, he couldn't help noticing how Draco's pale skin gleamed under the flow of the water. His muscled were taught and toned but not too much so.

Draco moved even closer, his hand grazing along Harry's side.

Harry squeaked slightly and felt an unfamiliar fluttering in his stomach. He looked up into Draco's smirking face. "Malfoy," he said, trying to control his quickened breathing. "Don't!"

"Don't what?" Draco asked innocently. He leaned forward so that his lips were barely touching Harry's. "This?"

He pressed his lips forward onto Harry's. Harry didn't move. His eyes were wide as he stared at Draco up close. From this angle, he could see that he had perfect skin.

Draco could tell Harry wasn't responding. He moved his body closer to Harry's, pushing him flush up against the wall. He moved a hand up and laid it against the wall behind Harry.

Harry gasped when he felt Draco's erection pressing into his own, now uncovered, erection. Draco took full advantage of the momentarily open mouth and thrust his tongue inside. He massaged Harry's tongue with his own.

Harry's eyes began to drift close, despite his brain's yelling. Draco felt Harry starting to respond and increased the energy of the kiss. It became more passionate. Harry gave a muffled moan into Draco's mouth.

Harry's hands began moving over Draco's lithe frame. They ran over his back and shoulders, finally coming to run through the silky strands of his now wet hair. Draco licked and nibbled Harry's lower lip lightly. Harry whimpered slightly as Draco finally pulled away from his mouth.

He wasn't disappointed for long. Draco's tongue slid over his neck, dipping in the crevices between his neck and shoulder. Draco bit down lightly on the tanned flesh, drawing a groan from Harry. He moved up and sucked on the skin of Harry's exposed neck.

Draco's other hand, which had been resting on Harry's hip, moved down between the two panting bodies. Draco smirked against Harry's neck as his hand wrapped around Harry's throbbing cock and was rewarded with a squeak from said boy.

Draco nibbled along Harry's neck, leaving tiny marks up and down the perfect skin. Harry whimpered as Draco began to stroke his aching erection slowly. Harry was panting heavily by now. Draco's hand worked steadily, massaging Harry's member.

Harry could feel himself approaching his climax. He gripped onto Draco's hips tightly, trying to stop. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew this was wrong. His body didn't seem to care.

He groaned when Draco stroked harder and faster. Harry bit his lip, trying not to, but it was useless. He felt his climax building inside himself.

"Ma--" he started to say, but Draco cut him off with a harsh kiss. Harry's cry of release was muffled by Draco's mouth. Draco kissed him one last time before backing away from the panting boy.

Draco surveyed Harry's swollen lips with some satisfaction. Harry leant against the tiled wall, breathing heavily. Harry watched Draco uncertainly. He didn't know what was going to happen now.

He knew that none of that should have happened, that he should have stopped it, but he hadn't. Harry quickly pushed past Draco and out of the shower. Draco followed him lazily, watching him scurry around, changing his clothes as fast as humanly possible.

"Leaving so soon, Potter?" Draco drawled, leaning casually against the wall, still stark naked. Harry glanced over at him quickly before scowling and pulling a sweater over his head. Without another word, Harry turned and walked quickly out of the room.

Draco watched him go with a satisfied smirk gracing his features. He glanced down and cursed. He was still hard, not having gotten off. He groaned and went back to the shower room.

He turned on the hot water and got under the steaming flow. He sighed in content as his own hand moved down his body to grasp his still straining erection. He breathed a sigh of relief as he began to stroke himself. Images swam before his face; many wizards he'd known in the past flew by.

His mind settled on the image of a dark haired wizard. Draco gasped as his pace increased, bringing him closer to the edge. He saw the dark haired wizard sucking on his cock, looking up at him through the most dazzling green eyes he'd ever seen.

In a moment, Draco cried out as he came forcefully. He relaxed and stood under the hot water, allowing it to wash away all traces. He fantasized for a moment about his dark haired lover.

Seconds later, his eyes shot open and his mouth dropped.

"Fuck!" he cursed. He had just realized who he'd been picturing. It had been Potter, that bastard! Draco's face transformed into a scowl as he realizes this.

He turned off the water and got out quickly. He threw his clothes back on, making sure to check his appearance in the mirror before he left. He ran a hand through his wet hair, standing it up slightly. He shook his head slightly, sending water everywhere.

He looked around the changing room one last time before grabbing his jacket and striding out.

OoOoO

"Hermione, I need help."

Hermione looked up sharply and gave him a confused and concerned look. She quickly set little Jamie down in his play pen and moved over to the couch. She sat down, all the while her eyes never leaving Harry. He was standing by her window, looking out at the sunny garden.

"What's wrong, Harry?" she asked. He sighed and came over to sit on the couch with her. She took her hand in his looking extremely concerned.

"I did something bad," Harry said quietly, not looking at her.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding. "What do you mean?" she asked searchingly.

Harry sighed again and looked up at her. "Hermione, have you ever done something that you knew was wrong, I mean, _really_ wrong. But you couldn't help yourself from enjoying it? Even though you knew that it was bad and shouldn't be happening?"

Hermione paused, confused. "I'm not sure if I understand," she said slowly.

Harry blinked back a tear and looked away from her, taking his hand back. "I mean, have you ever..." He stopped, trying to control his emotions. "Okay, you know how back in school we used to break the rules all the time and usually it turned out fine, right?"

"Yeah," Hermione agreed cautiously.

"Well, we knew it was wrong and that we shouldn't be doing it, but we still did."

"What are you saying?"

"What if it had been worse? What if... maybe... some of the consequences had been much worse than detention?" Harry watched Hermione carefully.

She appeared extremely confused. "What do you mean?" she asked finally.

"I mean this is one of those things. I didn't mean to do it, but I couldn't stop it," Harry said desperately. "And now I feel horrible. What am I going to do? I should have never have let this happen!"

"What are you talking about?!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Nothing, I--no, this was a mistake. I'm sorry, Hermione." Harry stood up quickly and Hermione watched him in confusion. She stood up and followed him to the door. He rushed out and down the pathway.

"Harry!" she called after him. Harry didn't look back though. He hurried to the Apparition point ignoring her cries of protest.

In a Pop he was gone. Hermione sighed and looked at the spot he'd disappeared from. She shook her head in despair.

A second later, there was another Pop and Blaise appeared, looking very handsome in a dark blue suit. He smiled at her and greeted her with a kiss.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, walking her into the house.

"Harry," Hermione sighed.

Blaise groaned and Hermione gave him a look. "Sorry," he apologized, "but why is he here so much? Shouldn't he be at home?"

"I don't know," Hermione said hopelessly. "He said he did something bad."

"Bad?" Blaise asked, interested. His mind wandered back to his previous conversations with Draco.

"Yeah, I don't know. He wasn't really being clear," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Hmm," Blaise said quietly. "Did he seem upset?"

"Well, he kept going on about consequences and back when we were in school. It was all a bit confusing."

"Yeah," Blaise agreed.

"I guess we won't find out for awhile," Hermione said sadly.

"That's okay," Blaise said, hugging her to his side. "We really don't need to know about his problems."

Hermione gave him a half reproachful look then turned to Jamie in the crib. She lifted the little boy into her arms and smiled at him.

"You're probably right," she sighed. He smiled at her then left to change his clothes. She turned to the baby in her arms. "What do you think, Jamie?" she asked the giggling baby. "Do you think he's going to tell us, or will we have to find out on our own?"

Jamie just giggled and spluttered a little spit bubble. Hermione sighed and hoisted him up higher in her arms.

"You're probably right. I guess I shouldn't push this. It could only make it worse."

OoOoO

The doorbell rang slowly and lazily. Ginny got to her feet from the couch, where she had been sitting drinking a cup of tea to calm her emotions. She shuffled to the door and opened it slowly.

Ron stood in the doorway. When she opened it, he peered in. He frowned as he looked around the room. Ginny raised an eyebrow at her brother as he made his surveillance.

"What do you want, Ron?" she asked finally.

Ron frowned again and stepped back. "Is Harry here?" he asked.

"No," Ginny said, as though it was obvious. "Why are you looking for him?"

"No reason," Ron said quickly. He glanced one more time around the empty room and sighed. "Shouldn't he be back soon? Didn't his practice end like an hour ago?"

Ginny sighed and retreated back into the living room. Ron furrowed his eyebrows and followed her. She sat down on the couch again and picked up her now luke-warm cup. She stared down at its contents sadly.

Ron sat down beside her, watching her carefully. "What's wrong?"

"It's Harry," Ginny said. "I think he's hiding things from me."

"Why would he do that?" Ron asked.

Ginny sighed again. "I don't know!" she exclaimed suddenly. "I don't know why he would hide things from me! I do everything right. I let him do what he wants. I don't say anything when he stays out later than he needs to! I am a good wife."

Ron just stared at his sister. From what Harry had told him, little of that was true. He was too scared of Ginny's temper to say anything against her. When he realized she was waiting for him to respond, he tried.

"Uh...I...um...Yeah, Ginny. You're a good wife," he stuttered out.

She eyed him suspiciously but seemed to accept his answer. "He must be doing something," she muttered darkly to herself.

"Ginny," Ron said quickly. "Don't jump to conclusions. He could just be in a bad mood."

"For the past three months?!" she exclaimed. "No, Ron, something is going on."

"Maybe this is why," Ron muttered to himself.

"What?" Ginny asked sharply, her eyes blazing.

"Nothing," Ron said quickly, sensing trouble. "Um, I have to go. If you see Harry, tell him I stopped by."

Ron got up then and practically ran to the door. Ginny watched him through narrowed eyes. On his way out of the building, Ron nearly ran into Harry who was on his way in.

"Whoa, Harry," he said as he caught sight of him.

"What are you doing here, Ron?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Uh... I was looking for you," Ron said apprehensively. "And I think I may have upset Ginny."

"No!" Harry said, his eyes widening. "You didn't. Please tell me you didn't."

"I'm sorry, Harry," Ron said hurriedly. "I really am, and I need to talk to you, but not now, obviously."

"No," Harry whispered to himself and Ron gave him a sympathetic glance.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I have to go. Good luck."

"Yeah, luck," Harry muttered. Ron waved goodbye and vanished from the spot. Harry looked up at the ominous building and sighed. He was going to have to face her sooner or later. It really didn't matter; she would be mad either way.

Harry trudged up to his apartment slowly, very unwilling to face what he knew would be awaiting him. Before opening the door, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He turned the knob and walked into the room, pretending nothing was wrong.

He didn't see Ginny on first glance. The living room was empty which he took to be a good sign. He took of his coat and hung it up carefully, just in case Ginny was lurking somewhere waiting to attack him.

He walked through the living room and into the kitchen. She wasn't in the kitchen either. Harry stopped, puzzled. Where was she? He knew she couldn't have gone far. She couldn't have Apparated out of the room, and he would have seen her leaving through the front door. She had to be in the flat somewhere...

Harry walked out into the living room and surveyed it once more. She wasn't there. He turned around and his eyes fell on the door to their bedroom which was ajar. His Quidditch poster was still stuck resolutely to the wall.

He went over to the door and pushed it open. The blinds were shut and the room was dark. The whole room had an ominous feeling. Harry crept in carefully and saw a dark shape sitting on the bed.

Suddenly a light was flicked on. Ginny was sitting cross-legged on the bed next to the headboard. A small lamp on the side table was lit, giving the dark room a yellowish glow.

"Hi, honey," Harry said, trying to sound cheerful. Ginny didn't respond and Harry hung his head. He wondered what it would be about this time.

"Sit," she said in a quiet and dangerous voice. Harry perched himself carefully on the edge of the bed, looking as if he was preparing to bolt at any moment.

"Yeah?" he asked nervously. Ginny took a deep breath while Harry watched in apprehension.

"I want you to tell me the truth," she said finally.

"Th-the truth?" Harry asked, starting to worry.

"Yes. What are you keeping from me?"

"Nothing," Harry said sincerely while silently kicking himself.

"Nothing?" she repeated, mocking him.

"No," Harry said desperately, hoping she couldn't see through his lies. All the time the incident from the morning was playing through his head.

Ginny got up from her place on the bed and moved over to Harry's side. Harry stood up quickly and faced her. Her eyes were narrowed and for a second they flickered to the poster behind him. They darkened significantly as she tore her gaze away from the flying players.

"Harry," she said through gritted teeth. "Just tell me the truth. What are you keeping from me?"

"I am telling you the truth!" Harry exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. "Nothing. I'm not keeping anything from you."

"Harry," she breathed, obviously trying to control her temper. "I _know_ you are lying to me."

"How? How do you know?" Harry asked, getting annoyed.

"I'm smarter than you think I am, Harry," she said condescendingly.

"You're not that smart," he said angrily.

Ginny's eyes flared and, in a second, her hand was raised and a loud smack resonated around the room.

Harry held a hand to his cheek where a red handprint was rapidly appearing.

"Ow! Fuck! Why did you do that?!" he exclaimed, staring at her. She didn't say anything, just looked at him. Harry looked disgusted. "I have to get out of here," he said, giving her a dark look.

Ginny didn't say anything as he left the room. She heard the front door open and slam shut. All the while she stared down at the palm of her hand.

* * *

_A/N: Please review... I LOVE the next chapter ;) hehe, you'll see why :)_


	13. Ginny's Secret

**Chapter Thirteen: Ginny's Secret**

Ron sat on the tall bar stool sipping his fire whiskey lazily. He set it down a little harder than he meant to and its contents sloshed out and onto the counter. The barkeep rolled his eye and came over with a rag to clean up the spill.

"Gimme another!" Ron said enthusiastically.

The keep looked at his glass, which was still half-full, and raised an eyebrow at him. "I think you've had enough," he said, cleaning up the mess.

Ron scowled at him. "Who're you to tell me ho-how many I can have?" he slurred slightly. The bartender rolled his eyes and walked away. Ron frowned at the counter, picking apart his napkin.

The door to the bar tinkled as it opened and swung shut. Ron didn't look up as a man slid into the seat next to him. He heard him order a strong drink and sigh.

"Harry?" Ron said, looking up quickly then holding his head to stop it spinning.

Harry looked panicked upon being found there. "Hi, Ron," he said hastily then turned away.

Ron looked at him with his eyes narrowed as if trying to put something together. "What're you doin' here?" he asked, slurring his words.

Harry turned to him, surveying him closely. "Are you drunk?"

"I most certainly am not!" Ron exclaimed before giggling feebly. "Well... maybe a little."

Harry nodded in agreement.

Ron drained the last of his drink and signaled for another. The bartender slid one down his way, if not a little reluctantly. Harry's drink arrived and he drank it, wincing slightly at its potency.

"So, why're ya here?" Ron asked again, swaying slightly on his stool.

Harry thought about his response for a moment. Ron did not appear to be quite lucid at the moment. It might just be safe to tell him. "Ginny and I had another fight," Harry sighed, throwing back the rest of his drink.

"Oh," Ron said, staring into his drink. "Tha's too bad. What'd she say this time?"

"She accused me of keeping secrets," Harry said, wishing her accusations hadn't been true. It would make all this so much easier, not to mention he would feel about a hundred times less guilty.

"Well," Ron said, leaning over and nearly falling off his stool. He caught himself though and steadied the chair. When he felt he was safe, he leaned over to Harry conspiratorially. "She's got some secrets of her own."

"Really?" Harry asked. He knew he probably shouldn't be letting Ron do this while he was drunk, but he couldn't help wanting to know.

Ron sat up straight, or semi-straight, again and downed the rest of his drink. "Sure," he said, over-animatedly. "Doesn't everybody?"

"I guess," Harry agreed. He wondered if Ron would tell him what her secrets were. "What are Ginny's?"

He bit his lip, hoping he hadn't been too obvious. Ron didn't appear to notice. He was staring into the bottom of his empty glass as if it was some enthralling thing.

"Ron?" Harry asked impatiently.

Ron jerked back then looked around surreptitiously. "You can't tell anyone what I'm about to say," he whispered conspiratorially. "'Specially not Harry."

Harry looked at him blankly. He raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything to the fact. "I promise," he said seriously.

"Okay," Ron nodded, seemingly satisfied. "So, a couple months back, I'm at this Ministry party, right? Well, it was gettin' really stuffy inside, so I went outside to get some fresh air, you know?"

He paused as he motioned for another drink and Harry waited impatiently for him to go on. Ron received his drink and downed it in one shot.

"And??" Harry asked finally.

"Right, so it was a pretty nice night, so I thought I might take a little walk, just for a minute 'round a park close by. I went walking and I was goin' 'round by the benches and heard this noise. And I didn't know what it was, but it sounded kinda funny. So I decided to take a look."

Harry was hanging onto his every word by this point, staring at him expectantly.

Ron took another drink and continued. "And who should I see, right, but Ginny and some bloke goin' at it. She freaked out and made me promise not to tell Harry. I agreed, but I feel really bad. I mean, he's my best mate and all. I feel terrible keepin' secrets from'im." Ron sighed and stared down at the table.

Harry was watching him through unbelieving eyes. "She cheated on m-him?" he asked, correcting himself.

"Yeah," Ron said to his drink. "An' now they're havin' all sorts of problems."

"Tell me about it," Harry muttered to himself. "Why did she cheat on him?"

"I dunno," Ron said casually, cleaning out his glass once more. "I always thought they had a perfect marriage."

"Huh," Harry said. His expression was dark as he went over what Ron had told him so far. How could she do that and then accuse him of keeping secrets?!

Ron was staring at his empty glass, his expression contemplative. He rolled the glass in his hands watching a tiny amount of liquid roll back and forth. Then he leaned over to Harry again and lowered his voice. "Jus' between you and me," he said confidentially. "I always thought Harry leaned a little more in the other direction."

"What?" Harry asked, not catching his drift.

"He never had much interest in girls, if you know what I mean," Ron whispered.

Harry could smell the alcohol heavy on his breath. "What?!" he exclaimed.

Ron leaned back from him and shrugged. "Now, don't get me wrong," he said shaking a finger in Harry's direction and ignoring his outburst. "I love my sister and I want her to be happy, you know? But if Harry's... you know... it would just be better for both of them to, I dunno, get a divorce or something."

"But don't they love each other?" Harry asked. He still wasn't over the fact that Ron thought he was gay, whether he had ever actually said it or not.

"I think Harry does and she does too, you know?" Ron slurred, leaning more onto the bar for support. "But... but... but you know, I don't know."

Harry let out an exasperated sigh and put his head on the cool counter, signaling for another drink to be sent his way. When it reached him, he downed it in one gulp. He slammed it back down and called for another.

They sat at the counter in silence for sometime. Harry was digesting all the Ron had told him. So Ginny had cheated on him, eh? That sure explained a lot. He couldn't believe what a hypocrite she was being.

Harry sighed and ordered another drink and set about ingesting the dark liquid while Ron snoozed on the counter beside him.

OoOoO

"Harry! Pay attention!"

Harry winced and held up a hand to his throbbing head. "Ow," he breathed.

Oliver gave him an odd look from his place in front of the team. He was explaining a new move to the team. Harry had been sitting near the back, trying to hold it together.

He had stayed a long time at the bar the night before. He felt as though he had drunk the entire place. He must have left eventually, although he didn't remember. He had woken up in the morning with a splitting headache. He wasn't exactly familiar with the place he'd woken up in, but he didn't take any time to find out. He had Apparated straight to work

Now he was sitting, trying not to let his head explode. Wood's voice cut through his head like a crash of thunder. He didn't notice when Wood dismissed the rest of the team.

Wood walked over to where Harry sat and stood looking down at him. Harry was rubbing his temple with his head tilted downward. His eyes were closed as his head throbbed. It felt like someone was beating a bass drum inside his head.

"Harry?" Wood asked quietly, and Harry started.

He looked up and let out a deep breath. "Oh, you scared me," he said, breathing deeply.

Wood gave him a questioning look. "Are you okay?"

"Not really," Harry said, rubbing his head again.

"Are you hung-over?" Wood asked incredulously, his voice rising.

"Please, Oliver, don't talk so loud," Harry said pleadingly.

Wood was taken aback. "Harry! You can't show up to work hung-over! What if Malfoy is here? He'll throw you off the team faster than you can say World Cup!"

Harry groaned and put his head into his hands once more. "What do you want me to do?! It's not like I carry Hangover Potions with me, Oliver!"

"Well, you better pull yourself together, Harry, and soon. It looks like Malfoy will be joining us again." Wood was looking out the door to the pitch where the rest of the team was already in the air.

Draco's blonde hair reflected the bright early winter sun. Harry looked across and caught sight of him. He groaned again and hung his head.

Wood gave him a fleeting glance before steeling himself. "Come on, Harry," he sighed and walked out to the pitch.

Harry sighed and pushed himself of the bench. He closed his eyes for a second, collecting himself and trying to control the pounding in his head.

He didn't look at Draco as he walked to the middle of the pitch. He mounted his broom and took off around the stadium. The fresh hair whipped around his face and he felt marginally better.

The practice was decent considering Harry was trying very hard not to keel over from the pain in his head. He still felt awful from the night before. He remembered everything Ron had told him which did not help the situation.

He hadn't really had any time to digest the situation the night before. As he flew around the pitch, he wondered vaguely what had become of Ron, or really, why he had even been there in the first place.

These thoughts flitted around his head throughout the entire practice. He couldn't make any sense of it, though, and gave up.

Wood signaled the team to the ground four hours later. Harry landed a little further away from the team and dragged his feet to the circle. Wood gave his usual "Good job, team" speech then sent them to the locker rooms.

Harry dragged himself slowly to the changing room. He knew he needed a shower at the very least. Plus, he didn't know what he was going to do after this. Should he go back home to Ginny? He did need clean clothes...

He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he failed to notice how slow he was going. Most of the team had left by the time he reached the entrance to the showers.

"So what's your excuse this time?" came a drawling voice from Harry's left.

Harry looked up and sneered. "Fuck off, Malfoy," he growled maliciously. He went past him and into the locker rooms.

Draco turned slowly and followed him in. He stood leaning against the door frame casually. "You looked like a Moose out there today, Potter," he drawled.

"What?!" Harry exclaimed then immediately grabbed his head. "Ow..."

Draco's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he surveyed Harry cursing and rubbing his temples. "Are you _hung-over_?" he asked suspiciously.

"Shut the fuck up, Malfoy," Harry growled, grabbing a towel and heading toward the shower.

"My, my," Draco drawled. "How unprofessional."

Harry stopped halfway there and turned around slowly. "_I'm_ unprofessional?!" he exclaimed, ignoring the sharp increase in pain. "What about _you_?!"

"What about me?" Draco asked calmly. Harry looked like he was going to explode from all the emotions he was feeling.

"You fucking jump in the middle of a shower, and you don't think that's unprofessional?!" Harry yelled.

"I have my reasons," Draco said coldly, and Harry scoffed.

"Your reasons," he repeated sarcastically. He could feel his anger growing as he approached closer to Draco. "And what are your _reasons_?"

"That's for me to know, and you not to find out," Draco drawled maliciously as Harry came ever closer. Harry's eyes flashed angrily as he glared at Draco. Draco walked slowly around Harry.

Harry's eyes followed him as he turned his body, mimicking his movements. Draco stopped circling and advanced on Harry, an odd gleam in his eyes. Harry backed away, stumbling over discarded towels on the floor.

"You listen to me, Potter. Whatever I do outside of practice is my business. What you do in practice is also my business. The star player cannot show up hung-over. Is that clear?" Draco asked through gritted teeth.

Harry continued backing up until he hit the stone wall of the locker room. Draco's silver eyes were glittering in anger as he surveyed Harry.

"You know," Harry started angrily. "There's this little thing, maybe you've heard of it, called respe--"

Harry was cut off as Draco crashed his lips down on his. Harry's eyes were wide in shock. He hadn't realized Draco had been that close. He struggled to push him away, but it was useless.

Draco bit Harry's lower lip, and Harry gasped in pain. Taking advantage of the open mouth, Draco thrust his tongue into the hot caverns of Harry's mouth.

Harry whimpered as Draco's tongue massaged his own. He couldn't stop his body from responding. His hand reached up to Draco's neck, pulling him closer and increasing the intensity of the kiss. Draco's hand slithered down between their panting bodies to palm Harry through his pants.

Harry pulled away from the kiss, breathing hard. "Fuck, don't," he panted.

Draco ignored him and began kissing his neck instead. Harry moaned loudly and tilted his head back as Draco's fiery tongue slid over his throat. He thrust his body forward into Draco's massaging palm.

Draco removed his hand and Harry made a noise of loss. The hand was soon replaced with his own very hard erection straining against the material of his low jeans. He rolled his hips into Harry, enjoying the moan that escaped his luscious lips.

Harry's hands moved down to grip Draco's hips as he continued to move them against him. He thrust lightly into Harry. Harry gasped and gripped harder.

Draco leaned into his ear and whispered. "Do you like that?"

"N--Yes..." Harry replied as Draco gave another particularly forceful thrust. His body arched off the wall, needing more friction.

Draco moved his hips with Harry's, thrusting harder, barely controlling himself. He was caught by surprise when Harry kissed him softly. Harry pulled away, throwing his head back as he reached his climax.

Wave after wave of pleasure flowed over his body as he came. He still kept his grip on Draco as he rode out the end of his orgasm.

Draco came hard as well, burying his face in Harry's neck. He kissed him softly before pulling away. He reached for his wand to clean up the mess. After a second thought, he cleaned Harry as well. Harry stood leaning against the wall for support.

Draco smirked at Harry as he turned to leave. "Is that a good enough reason?" he asked before disappearing in a crack.

Harry slid down onto the floor, his knees pulled up to his chest. "What am I going to do?" he whispered to the empty room.

* * *

A/N: Please Review! I know it was late today, but I had tons of homework...


	14. Breaking Down

**Chapter Fourteen: Breaking Down**

Draco appeared just outside the door to the locker rooms, smirking to himself. Harry was falling for his plan perfectly. He was about to walk away when he heard a strange sound coming from inside the locker rooms.

He turned around instinctively and stuck his head back in the door. He cast his glance around and it landed on Harry, who was sitting on the floor against the wall with his knees pulled up to his chest. His shoulders were shaking and sniffing could be heard coming from him.

Draco went cautiously inside, wary of the situation. Harry didn't seem to have noticed his return. His face was pressed against his knees as he hugged them to himself.

"Potter?" Draco asked carefully, moving closer slowly.

Harry's breath caught when he heard the voice and he hastily wiped away a tear and turned farther towards the wall. "Go away, Malfoy," he said harshly, not looking at him.

Draco didn't heed his words but continued to look at him through suspicious silver eyes. "What's wrong with you?" he asked disdainfully.

"Just leave me the fuck alone!" Harry yelled, his voice breaking. He sniffed again and didn't look at Draco.

Draco was still regarding him as if he was a particularly unsavory bug that he had no desire to go nearer and yet his curiosity pulled him onward. "Potter, what the hell is going on?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?!" Harry exploded. He stood up quickly, so quickly that Draco actually took a step back. "Of course you would like to know. More things to make fun about me, isn't that right, Malfoy?! 'Let's make fun of the great Harry Potter! It's not like he has any problems in his life! Oh no, his life is bloody perfect! _Everybody_ wants to be him!'"

Harry paused, panting slightly at his outburst. His eyes were red from his previous tears. He was glaring at Draco with an immense amount of hate. Draco's expression was shrewd and calculating as he surveyed Harry. He thought for a second that Harry might charge him, but to his surprise, he choked back a sob and slid back to the ground, once more crying into his knees.

"Potter, you can't do this," Draco said plainly.

"Why the fuck are you still here?" Harry asked into his knees, muffling the sound.

Draco moved closer, cautiously. The sight of Harry crying on the floor intrigued him and also gave him an odd sensation in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know what it was, but it felt strange. He stood over Harry's silently shaking form, staring down at him.

He carefully got down on his knees then sat down next to Harry. He could hear him sniffing and the occasional whimper. He didn't understand what was going on.

"Potter," he said firmly and Harry looked up at him. Draco was taken aback when he was met with Harry's brilliant green eyes, staring him straight in the face. His eyes were shining with unshed tears.

He looked so vulnerable in that moment. He didn't look angry, only sad. He blinked and a single tear ran down his cheek.

Without thinking, Draco lifted his hand and wiped it away with his thumb. Harry's eyes swept over Draco's face and widened as Draco's hand caressed his cheek, pulling him forward in to a soft kiss.

His eyes drifted shut as Draco deepened the kiss. He nibbled Harry's lower lip, drawing a low moan from the raven-haired man. Draco raised a hand and slid it onto Harry's side. This seemed to bring Harry back to his senses. He pushed Draco off and scooted away hastily.

"No, fuck," he cursed under his breath. Draco watched him go, a little confused. Harry looked up at Draco and his expression hardened. "Fuck, Malfoy! What are you trying to do?! You're the reason for all of this anyway!"

He pushed himself off the floor and stormed from the room, wiping away another tear that threatened to fall. Draco stared after his retreating back, a scowl blossoming on his face.

He stood up and brushed the non-existent dirt off of himself. He huffed at Harry's reaction before disappearing in a pop.

OoOoO

"He's so infuriating!"

Pansy sighed as she watched Draco pacing around her living room, ranting about Potter. She sat on the couch with her hands folded calmly in her lap as he circled in front of her.

"He blames me for his problems!" Draco exclaimed, turning to Pansy. "He said his problems were my fault!"

"Well..." Pansy said doubtfully and Draco turned to her, his eyes icily cold.

"No," he said dangerously. "I did not cause his marriage problems. He cannot blame me for that! I only... helped them along," he added with a smirk.

Pansy rolled her eyes and sighed, exasperated. She crossed her legs and continued to watch him pace in front of the fireplace. "Isn't this what you wanted?" she asked him facetiously.

He stopped and turned to her, a shrewd expression on his face. "Yes," he replied as though it was obvious.

"Then why are you so upset?" she asked, confused.

"Because I was only trying to find out what was wrong and he exploded. I didn't do anything to deserve that!"

"Yes, you did," Pansy said.

"Okay, so I did," Draco said, grinning. "But that doesn't mean he should take out his anger on me!"

"Draco, why do you care what's wrong with him anyway?"

"I don't."

"So then it doesn't matter," she said simply.

Draco raised his eyebrows at her and gave her a disbelieving look. "Fine, it doesn't matter," he agreed. "This just means I am on my way to achieving my goal."

"Right," Pansy said confidently.

Draco nodded and sat down on the couch beside her. He sighed in a satisfied way and turned to her. "So Pansy," he asked casually, "how are things going with your secret?"

She gave him a dirty look and looked away. "Fine," she said loftily and Draco raised a slender eyebrow.

"Fine?" Draco repeated. "I didn't hear any scrambling when I came. What happened--he not want to be a dirty little secret anymore?"

Pansy turned and glared at Draco. Draco just gave her a challenging look. She scowled at him. "That is none of your business. Besides, we were talking about you," she said, annoyed.

"I don't want to talk about me," Draco said grudgingly.

"Well, that's a first," Pansy muttered, and Draco glared at her.

"Shut up," he growled.

"Aw, Draky," she said and Draco scowled at the nickname. "You can't displace your problems so easily, you know."

"I'm not displacing them, I just don't want to talk about them."

"You're going to have to eventually."

"Shut up, Pansy."

OoOoO

Harry took a calming breath as he stood in the hallway, staring at his door. It looked so innocent, as if a monster did not dwell behind it. He had calmed down considerably from the locker rooms.

The only thing was that he couldn't get Draco's actions out of his head. It had almost seemed as if he had cared for a moment there. Harry had quickly dismissed that thought from his head, going back to hating him in peace.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was a little frightened of what he would find when he entered. He had been out all night, even he didn't know where, and last he had left, Ginny had been in a foul mood.

Perhaps she would be calmer now. Harry almost laughed at that idea. He still couldn't believe what Ron had told him. He had denied it to himself for several hours the previous night as he had drunk himself into oblivion.

As he had been crying in the locker room earlier, he had come to the conclusion that Ron had probably been telling the truth after all. He didn't know how he would handle it when he saw Ginny. Would he let it slip that he knew or keep it to himself?

Harry honestly didn't know how he would react upon seeing her. He guessed it all depended on how she was acting towards him. Every time he thought about her cheating on him, he got an empty sensation in the pit of his stomach.

He almost felt sick when he thought about it. He just couldn't believe she would do something like that to him. He thought she had loved him! He had never done anything to give her any suspicions that he didn't love her.

Hell, they had broken up and gotten back together after the war. If that wasn't love, what was? Harry sighed and shook his head. He steeled himself and unlocked the door.

He pushed the door open slowly, sticking his head in and peering around cautiously. His eyes took in the entire room before landing on the couch. Ginny was sitting with her back to him, watching the flicker flames in the fireplace.

He entered into the room fully, shutting the door quietly behind him. At the door click, Ginny turned around quickly. She jumped up from the couch and ran around to Harry. She hugged him tightly while he tried to figure out what was going on.

He stood there awkwardly as she embraced him. He didn't put his arms around her but stood in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do. Finally, she stepped back from him. He could see that her eyes were full of tears which confused him even further.

"Harry," she gasped, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. "You're okay."

"Uh...yeah," Harry agreed slowly.

"I'm so sorry," she said, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

Harry didn't say anything in response. He walked over to the couch and sat down on it. He propped up his feet on the coffee table.

Ginny followed him, ignoring his feet. She looked at him imploringly. "Harry, I-I didn't mean to. You know that, right?" she asked desperately.

Harry was silent for a few moments, thinking over everything. She seemed genuinely worried about him. "Yeah," he said finally, not looking at her. He heard her sigh of relief and scowled to himself.

"Are you okay?" she asked, putting her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her hand, her left hand with the sparkling wedding ring on it. He almost didn't want her to touch him.

"I'm fine," he said shortly. She seemed taken aback and removed her hand. Harry breathed a small sigh of relief as the hand was removed. He couldn't stand the fact that she dared touch him after what she had done to him.

How could she pretend so well that nothing was wrong?! He had never suspected anything of her having an affair. It had never even crossed into his mind. He hated how she could lie so easily to him. Didn't he deserve the truth?!

"A-are you sure? I was worried about you," she said in a small voice.

Harry nearly laughed at that. _Right, worried,_ he thought maliciously.

"I'm fine," he repeated firmly.

She nodded quickly. "Okay," she said.

Harry sat back on the couch and sighed. Ginny didn't say anything more. She was watching him apprehensively. He didn't look her way. He wasn't sure what he would do if he did.

He was still incredibly angry at her reaction. He couldn't believe she had lied to him for so long and was still doing it! They sat in silence as all these thoughts ran through Harry's head.

He watched out the window as the sun sunk behind the tall buildings surrounding the apartment. The sky was a dusky pink color, casting shadows into the living room. None of the lights were on except for one in the kitchen.

The room went from pink to orange to a dusky blueish color that soaked into the entire room. Harry watched as the last rays of light sunk beneath the buildings and the entire room was cast into shadow.

Eventually, he heard Ginny rise from the couch and move around back of him. He heard a light being clicked on and a yellow glow filled a corner of the room. He heard her go into the kitchen and begin to make something.

About half an hour later, she came out and stood in the doorway to the kitchen. She looked at Harry, who was still sitting on the couch in the same position she had left him in.

"I made dinner," she said quietly. Harry didn't say anything but rose from the couch nonetheless and went into the kitchen. He sat down at the counter and took the proffered food.

Ginny watched him eat in silence. She herself didn't eat anything. He ate a few bites then set down his fork, not hungry. "Harry," Ginny said again, desperately. "I'm sorry. Please, Ha--"

"Don't," he said, holding up a hand to stop her. "Just don't."

He got up from the stool then and retreated from her into the bedroom. He felt so unclean from it all; the drinking, his 'experience' with Draco, Ginny's betrayal. He decided that he desperately needed a shower.

He stripped off his clothes and stood under the warm stream, allowing the water to wash away all his cares for the moment. He closed his eyes and sighed, wishing everything would go back to normal.

_Why can't I just fix it?_ he asked himelf sadly. He sighed and turned off the water. He stepped out, dried off, and changed into some pajama pants and a tee shirt.

He slipped into bed, not really caring what Ginny was doing. He lay there for a while, not sleeping. He was unable to sleep from the millions of thoughts that kept circling through his head. He groaned and rolled over, burying his face in a pillow.

He heard the door open and close softly. Ginny had come in. She must have assumed he was sleeping because she was being very quiet. He heard her change into her dressing gown and slip in beside him.

He turned onto his side, staring at the clock on the bedside table. It read 1:30 AM. Harry sighed quietly to himself, wishing he could fall asleep.

He couldn't though. Thoughts of Draco kept swirling through his mind. He saw him sneering at him in school, smirking at him during Quidditch practices, staring at him hungrily in the showers.

Harry furrowed his eyebrows as a sudden thought came into his head. He listened to Ginny breathe as he went over this new idea.

_That could work..._ he thought slowly. _Do I really want to though? Am I that desperate?_

_Maybe the question is, are you that malicious?_ spoke up his inner voice. Harry bit his lip, thinking hard. He rolled over slightly to look at Ginny.

She was already asleep, her mouth open slightly as she snoozed on her pillow. Harry paused, taking in her sleeping form. He turned back over on his side away from her.

_God, I hope not._

* * *

A/N: Please review:)


	15. A Dangerous Engagement

**Chapter Fifteen: A Dangerous Engagement**

Harry awoke the next morning earlier than usual. He glanced quickly at Ginny, who was still asleep. She was sprawled over the covers. He shuddered in disgust at her form and turned away.

He padded into the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee. He sipped it slowly, watching as the sun climbed into the sky shining bright rays of light into the small kitchen.

Harry set down his cup and walked into the living room. As he looked around it, he realized he hated this apartment. He hated the smallness of it all. It was too cramped.

Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do. He sighed as he went into the bedroom to change. He was very quiet so as not to wake Ginny. He tiptoed around the bed, pulling on a pair of jeans and a sweater.

Lately, the weather had turned from sunny autumn afternoons to crisp winter mornings. Harry left the bedroom and went to the coat rack on the door.

He put on his jacket and slipped on his shoes. He gave the tiny apartment one last fleeting look before leaving it. He walked down the stairs and out the front door. The doorman greeted him as always. Harry gave him a small smile but disregarded his greetings otherwise.

He walked down the street and around the corner. He looked around quickly before Apparating to the Quidditch Pitch. When he arrived there, he realized that he was an entire hour early for practice.

He walked slowly into the pitch. It was completely empty. No one was there yet. Harry breathed in the cool crisp air of the November morning. There was a light frost on the ground as the sun had not completely risen yet.

Harry walked out to the very center of the field and stared up at the sky. It was a dazzling blue, crystal clear with not a cloud in sight. He let his head roll back on his neck as he stared at the pure blue of the sky.

It didn't last long, though. Soon his gaze was wrenched from the sky and brought back to earth. He sunk to the ground cross-legged and picked at the grass surrounding him.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. _I can do this,_ he thought firmly. He swallowed the lump in his throat and stared at the icy grass.

_I can do it. I have to do this. I can..._

Harry bit his lip nervously as he picked at the grass. He rolled a blade around his fingers, feeling the frost melt from the warmth of his hand.

_I can't do this,_ he thought desperately. _I can't. It's too wrong._

He dropped the blade of grass and put his head in his hands. His elbows rested on his knees as he sat in the middle of the pitch. He shook his head despairingly and groaned out loud.

_You have to do this, Harry. You have to. You can't let Ginny get away with this. She doesn't even care! She doesn't deserve you. You deserve better. You _have_ to do this!_

Harry resigned himself to this fact but didn't raise his face. Soon he heard footsteps coming towards him on the pitch. His head snapped up and he let out a sigh of relief as he saw Wood coming toward him.

Harry didn't get up as Wood neared him.

Wood came up next to him and looked down. "What are you doing here so early, Harry?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," Harry replied, once again picking at the blades of grass on the ground.

"Yeah," Wood sighed in agreement. He paused for a moment, watching Harry fiddle with the grass. He started to say something but stopped himself.

Harry looked up at him and gave him a questioning glance. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"I--I'm having tryouts today after practice," Wood said finally.

"Oh," Harry said slowly as comprehension dawned. "Do you want me to stay?" he asked hopefully.

"No, this is just a preliminary. If I find anyone decent, they'll come play with the team later," Wood said sadly.

"Oh," he said shortly.

Wood sighed loudly and heavily. "Come on, Harry. It's time to get ready for practice."

Harry pushed himself off the grass very unwillingly and followed Wood to the changing rooms. He changed into his Quidditch things silently. Wood disappeared into his office and Harry didn't see him for a while after that until it came time to start.

The rest of the team filtered in slowly. They exchanged hello's with Harry and went about changing into their uniforms as well. Harry watched as they did so. They didn't have a care in the world, lucky them. He wished he could be like them, carefree, happy.

Unfortunately, things had taken strange turns in his life, things he couldn't control. It's not as if he wanted his life to turn out this way. But it wasn't like he'd had any choice in the matter either.

He had loved Ginny when he had married her. He had waited for her, gone through the entire war without doing anything with anyone. He had _loved_ her, and he had thought that she loved him too. Maybe he had been wrong. Maybe she only liked him for his fame.

Harry sighed, he had made himself even more depressed than he already was. The rest of the team was leaving to the pitch and Harry followed. He immediately scanned the stands for the gleaming white-blonde hair but saw none. Draco had not come to the practice that day.

Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him as he realized Draco wasn't there. He mounted his broom and soared off around the stadium. The practice went fairly smoothly. Without Draco there, the team seemed to fly better.

Wood was actually pleased when the practice ended and told them they had done a good job. He shooed them off to the changing rooms so he could get ready for the oncoming trials. Harry walked back slowly, kicking a pebble along the ground.

He turned back when he heard voices on the pitch. There was Draco Malfoy talking to Wood. Harry's heart nearly jumped into his throat as he watched them. He scurried quickly behind a tree to watch them. Draco appeared to be talking seriously with Wood.

Harry's furrowed his eyebrows as Wood nodded to him, looking thoughtful. Harry didn't understand what was going on. Draco hadn't been at the practice! Harry would have seen him. While he was pondering these thoughts, Draco nodded to Wood politely and turned in Harry's direction.

Harry silently panicked and hid himself further behind the tree. _What am I doing?_ he thought. _I shouldn't be scared of him._ He steeled himself and stepped out from behind the tree just as Draco passed it.

"Malfoy," he said commandingly.

Draco stopped and turned around slowly. He had a smirk on his face as always and an eyebrow raised. "Potter," he drawled in greeting. Harry didn't know what else to say after that. He hadn't really prepared anything.

"Did you watch the whole practice?" he asked finally when it became apparent that Draco was waiting for him to say more.

"Yes," Draco said thoughtfully. "Turns out this wasn't a complete waste of time and money after all."

"It's a good team," Harry said angrily.

"They don't seem to fly like it," Draco drawled condescendingly.

Harry narrowed his eyes at him. "That's because you intimidate them!" he exclaimed.

Draco didn't respond to his outburst. He merely shrugged and picked at his fingernails as if he was bored with the conversation. "Intimidation is a gift, Potter. You should learn how to use it."

"It is not a gift," Harry said in disgust. "It's manipulation at its finest; something to use to scare people, to degrade them to get what you want. That is not a gift."

"I disagree, Potter," Draco said calmly. "Intimidation can be a very useful tool if you know what I mean." He raised his eyebrows suggestively at Harry, who scowled.

"Useful maybe, but underhanded and wrong," Harry said angrily. He was distracted from Draco as he saw figures walking onto the pitch. His gaze followed about ten or so people as they walked on the field holding broomsticks.

Draco moved closer to Harry without his noticing, also watching the players. He smirked as he watched Wood pacing up and down the row of potential Chasers.

"Worried about your team?" Draco asked in mock sympathy very close to Harry's ear.

Harry nearly jumped at the sound. He instinctively moved away from Draco. "This is your fault," he said. "We didn't need new Chasers."

"Yes, you did," Draco said simply. "Their flying was not up to the level of the other players. You need Chasers who compliment the rest of the team, not need support from them."

Harry gaped at Draco as he spoke. He had never imagined that Draco would have a valid reason for firing them. Draco seemed to have decided that he was done there and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Harry called after him then grimaced as he stopped. He took a slow breath to calm himself and stepped forward toward Draco.

"What?" Draco asked suspiciously.

Harry didn't respond for a second, trying to gather up the courage to do what he meant to.

_Do it!_ his inner voice yelled.

"Malfoy, I--I wanted to a-ask you something," Harry stuttered.

"Really?" Draco drawled interestedly.

"Yes," Harry said, coming to a decision.

"And that would be?" Draco asked, growing impatient.

"I...I..." Harry said, unable to communicate his idea clearly.

"I what?" Draco asked impatiently.

Harry took a deep breath and looked Draco straight in the eye. "I want to do something," he said nervously.

"Do something?" Draco repeated mockingly. "What the hell does that mean?"

"You know what I mean," Harry said quietly.

An evil smirk broke out onto Draco's face as he watched Harry, who was avoiding his eyes now. "But don't you have the perfect marriage?"

"I just want to... try something new," Harry said tentatively.

Draco chuckled darkly and Harry's eyebrows furrowed. "New..." he repeated slowly. He advanced slowly on Harry and he backed away nervously, stopping as he bumped into the tree he had been hiding behind. When Draco was only inches from Harry, he raised scheming eyebrow. "And what's in it for me?" he whispered.

"You?" Harry asked dumbly.

Draco licked his lips, pleased as Harry's eyes followed its path. He leaned in closer to Harry and kissed his jaw lightly. "Yes, Potter. Me," he said, licking a trail up Harry's jaw, enjoying the shiver that ran from the raven-haired man. He moved back and looked into Harry's lust and fear-filled eyes.

"I-I don't know," Harry stuttered. He hadn't thought about that. He had only been concentrated on getting his revenge.

"I'm sure I can find something," Draco whispered, moving so that his lips were nearly touching Harry's. Harry's breathing was labored as Draco moved closer, almost kissing him. He opened his mouth slightly and their breath intermingled. Harry's eyes drifted shut as he anticipated what would come.

Draco licked his lips hungrily and moved in for the kill. He was centimeters away when a loud whistle screamed through the air and Draco stopped. Harry's eyes flew open and Draco backed away, looking toward the field.

The tryouts had ended and the potential players were coming toward the changing room. Draco gave Harry one last fleeting smirk as the people thundered toward them.

"See you around, Potter," he said. In a Pop, he was gone. Harry let out a breath and quickly moved to the other side of the tree as the people came past. He closed his eyes as they passed, hoping to God he had not just ruined his life.

OoOoO

"Pansy?" A tentative voice crept in through the open front door.

Pansy looked up from the couch and her eyes narrowed as she saw who it was. "Yes?" she asked dangerously. The door creaked open and closed behind the person.

Her eyes were fixed on the intruder as he came nervously into the house. "What do you want?" she asked acidly.

"I--I wanted to talk to you," the voice said timidly and Pansy scoffed. "And to apologize."

Pansy's looked taken aback for half a second before she sneered. "Like I'm going to accept your apology."

"Pansy, please," the voice pleaded. "I really mean it. I didn't mean to say those things about Malfoy."

Pansy huffed and turned her nose up at the person standing awkwardly in the living room.

"Please, I understand what you meant now. He's not a bad guy, I know."

"Sure, now you agree with me," she replied scathingly.

"No really, I believe what you said. Things have changed since we were in school. He's not a Death Eater anymore. Please, Pansy, I'm sorry."

Pansy's eyes were still narrowed as she sat haughtily on the couch. "I don't trust you," she said, losing her cold facade for a second and a hint of hurt showing in her voice. The figure moved closer to her, but she recoiled and he stopped.

"Pansy, I'm sorry," the voice said pleadingly.

"How do I know?" she asked quietly. There was a pause and no one said anything.

"I don't know," the man said finally. "But I do understand what you meant. Malfoy isn't all bad, and you were right. I shouldn't still be keeping a school yard grudge."

Pansy sat on the couch in deep contemplation. Finally, she looked up at the figure, a resolved look on her face. "And you won't say anything more bad against him?" she asked suspiciously, searching the eyes of her companion.

"I can't guarantee it, but I'll try."

Pansy rose slowly from the couch and walked cautiously toward the man standing in her living room.

"Alright. I'll give you one more chance, and if you don't behave, I'll turn you into a goon," she said seriously.

The man gulped, hoping she didn't have her wand on her. "S-so you forgive me?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, but you better not say anything more against Draco. He is a good person." _Deep down,_ she added silently.

"I'll try, I promise."

"Good," Pansy replied, then smiled slightly. "Now get over here."

She led the way toward the bedroom, frowning slightly. If all went according to Draco's plan, her little friend would have plenty to say on the subject and there was no way she could stop him.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry it's so late today, but something was weird with ff when I tried to upload this earlier. Dunno. Anyway, I've updated to make your monday (or possibly tuesday in some parts of the world) a little brighter. I know we could all use it in the face of finals looming ahead :) Please review and make my Monday brighter!_


	16. Island in the Sun

**Chapter Sixteen: Island in the Sun**

The sun pressed down over the edge of the water, spreading rays of golden sunlight across the sparkling blue ocean. The low light of the sun reflected off the glittering vastness of the ocean, twinkling as the sun sunk lower in the late afternoon sky.

Harry sighed and sunk further down into the low wooden chair on the round porch coming out from the Villa. He reached over to a short round table and picked up an orange drink complete with tiny umbrella. He sipped it casually while watching as the water went from blue to a serene grey color in the sun's shift of light.

He replaced the glass on the table and shut his eyes, allowing the warm sun rays to wash over his body. He stretched luxuriously in the chair, fully enjoying his position. He lay like that for some time. The sun sank beyond his eyelids.

Suddenly, a slight chill washed over his body. He shivered and opened his eyes only to find himself in the shadow of someone standing next to him on the porch. He sighed resignedly and looked up into the face of his visitor.

He was surprised to see Seamus standing there grinning down at him. At his side was a very tan and very toned man of Spanish decent. He did not look especially pleased to be standing there when there was a perfectly good hot tub just a little ways down the beach.

"Hey, Harry," Seamus said with a grin.

Harry pushed himself back up in his chair and turned to him. "Seamus," he said a little surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Seamus shrugged and his companion's expression became even more bored. Seamus took no notice. His eyes were fixed on Harry's body, taking in his shirtless state as he lounged casually on the chair.

"I was just taking my vacation time before I lose it," Seamus replied easily. His friend seemed to sense this wasn't going to end soon. He leaned over and whispered something in Seamus' ear. Seamus nodded to him and gave him a kiss. The other man turned around and walked off the porch toward the hot tub down the way.

Seamus watched him go for a minute then turned back to Harry. He pulled up another chair and sat down next to Harry. Harry frowned slightly at this invasion of his privacy, even if it was Seamus.

"So what brings you here in November? Quidditch season over already? Pulling some extra vacation time?" Seamus asked playfully, grinning at Harry as his sea green eyes sparkled mischievously.

"No," Harry sighed. "I just needed to get away."

Seamus surveyed him closely but said nothing. He leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head and sighing contentedly.

Harry leaned back and allowed his mind to wander. He thought back to the previous Friday, just two days ago, when he had made his agreement with Draco. Harry still wasn't sure what had made him do it. He didn't know if he could handle something this big, lying to Ginny, lying to his friends, his teammates, everyone.

Harry sighed quietly again as his thoughts turned to that day when he had gone home. Ginny had been waiting for him, still appearing fearful of his anger.

_::FLASHBACK:: _

"Harry?" she asked quietly after he slipped off his shoes and nearly collapsed on the couch. He looked up at her but said nothing. He turned his gaze back to the empty fireplace, not trusting himself to speak.

Ginny moved carefully around the couch and sat gingerly next to him. Still Harry said nothing. A million thoughts were swirling through his head and his stomach clenched every time he looked at her, a mixture of hate and pity and self-loathing.

"How was practice?" she asked lightly. Harry shrugged, still not daring to look at her. "Anything interesting happen?"

Harry's heart jumped at those words and began to pound in his chest. Images of Draco pressed up against him in the shower, outside on the pitch, against the tree all came racing through his mind. Draco's lips moving closer, his silver eyes full of hunger as he did so; Harry's offer of continuation of their activities showered through his head; Draco's acceptance of said offer and the glint in his eyes as he did so.

Harry's breathing was shallow as his heart continued to pound. He hoped to Merlin that she couldn't hear it. He shook his head slowly, willing himself to calm down.

She didn't seem to notice anything odd. She frowned at his lack of communicative skills and sighed to herself. Harry breathed easier as she didn't respond. He still refused to look in her direction.

"Harry," she said tentatively and Harry stiffened slightly. "Did I do something?"

Harry nearly laughed when she said that but restrained himself. How could she ask that when she knew perfectly well her sins?! Harry stood up suddenly and walked away from the couch. She watched him go apprehensively. He walked around the back of the couch, coming to stop looking at a picture that was hanging on the wall.

The picture was of a sunny beach somewhere far away. Harry had bought the picture because of its aesthetic value. He stood there not really seeing it. He didn't know how to respond to her question.

Ginny rose from the couch and walked over to him, looking at him as he stared intently at the picture. He glanced over quickly and saw her watching him. He automatically moved away from her, uncomfortable with her closeness. Ginny watched him through worried eyes as he moved further across the room towards the door.

"I--I need to get out of here," he spoke to the floor, moving closer to the door. Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but the door was already open and his shoes were on.

"I'll be back," Harry said haltingly to the floor. The door swung shut leaving Ginny staring at a loss at the closed door.

::END FLASHBACK::

"Harry?" Seamus' voice broke into Harry's memories as they sat in the light of the sinking sun. Harry shook his head slightly to rid himself of the memories. He looked over at Seamus who was still sitting on the chair with his head tilted back, looking at the slowly darkening sky.

"Yeah?" Harry responded.

Seamus looked over at him a curious expression on his face. "How are you doing?" he asked seriously and Harry's eyebrows raised. Seamus was not usually so serious.

"How am I doing?" Harry repeated and Seamus nodded.

_How am I doing..._ Harry thought. _Well, my wife cheated on me, and now I'm cheating on her with someone I despise, not to mention a guy and my boss. Ginny and I haven't had a real conversation that didn't involve yelling in three months. I can't tell anyone about Malfoy because it would ruin my life and hers. I feel horrible for deceiving her, but then again, she is doing the exact same thing to me. Who is she to judge me and accuse me of keeping secrets when she's been doing the same for months now? And why did I have to pick Draco Malfoy to exact my revenge? I'm sure there are plenty of other guys that would mess around with me. But I'm not gay, right? Why didn't I pick a girl...?_

Harry's mind was reeling with these thoughts as Seamus waited patiently for his response. Finally, Harry turned to Seamus and shook his head despairingly. "Not good, but I can't really talk about it," he said.

Seamus nodded understandingly and turned his gaze back to the darkening horizon.

"How's work going?" Harry asked, turning the subject away from himself.

"Same old Ministry," Seamus said casually. "Although, it is a plus to work around Ron. Wow, some of the things he gets himself into are just hilarious. Lately, he's been a bit spacey which makes for even more entertaining moments."

Harry laughed, his heart feeling lighter already. He knew that Seamus had gone into the Ministry after school. He worked in the Improper Use of Magic office now, sending letters to students who use magic outside of school. There was a running bet on which kid would break Harry's record for number of letters received.

"Yeah, Ron can be like that," Harry agreed, grinning.

"Yeah," Seamus said. "I'm just enjoying life, taking a few vacations, having a little fun," Seamus continued, his eyes glinting mischievously as he glanced down the beach to where his friend was lounging in the hot tub.

Harry laughed again as Seamus raised a suggestive eyebrow at him and winked. He had always been a shameless flirt. Sometimes Harry had difficulties understanding why the Ministry turned a blind eye to Seamus' many trysts.

"You are evil, Seamus," Harry told him, unable to stop the smile from creeping on his face.

"Oh yeah," Seamus agreed, grinning. Harry rolled his eyes at his unabashed answer.

Just then, a shout came from down the beach. They turned in their chairs to see Seamus' companion waving at him. Seamus turned back to Harry. "Looks like I've got some playing to do," Seamus said with an eyebrow raise. Harry just laughed and shook his head. "Well, Harry, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me, okay?"

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding slightly and looking away. Seamus nodded and hopped off the porch onto the cool sand. Harry watched as he trotted away down the beach in the rising twilight.

Harry drained the last little bit of his drink and decided to turn in for the night. He stood up and stretched one last time, looking over the dark water stretching out before him. He turned around and went in to the warm light coming from his room. At the door he turned one last time to look out at the dark night. He sighed quietly and shut the door behind him.

The next morning, Harry awoke to the bright sunlight shining through the light green curtains in the villa. He padded into the small kitchen and conjured a cup of coffee, something he had gotten hooked on after his trip to America.

He looked out the window in the kitchen, his view encompassing the green palm trees that surrounded the small villa. The sun wasn't too high in the sky yet but the water was already sparkling invitingly. Harry finished his coffee and threw on a pair of swimming trunks.

He walked out on the porch, enjoying the feel of the warm sand beneath his feet. He walked straight to the sparkling water and dove right in. The water was lukewarm already. Harry swam around for a while but eventually decided that he should get out.

He swam back to the shore and walked out. The water glistened on his tanned upper body. He ran a hand through his wet hair then shook his head, sending water everywhere. Somewhere to his right came a whistle and Harry blushed.

He turned around and stood gazing at the sea for a moment, watching as the waves rolled in and crashed against the shoreline. He enjoyed the constancy of the sea.

"Harry James Potter!" A yell reached his ears over the breaking of the waves. He hung his head and sighed. He would know that yell anywhere. He turned to see Hermione walking quickly towards him.

She looked completely out of place in a business jacket and skirt. She had taken off her high heels as she stormed across the sand. Harry waited for her to approach him, dreading the moment.

"Hermione, fancy seeing you here," he said dryly.

She narrowed her eyes and shook a finger at him with the hand holding her shoes. "You know what I'm doing here," she said pointedly.

Harry rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Did my lovely wife send you to find me?" he asked acidly.

Hermione looked a bit taken aback by his tone. "No, actually I was worried about you," she said.

"Worried about me?" Harry repeated incredulously. "That's a new one."

"Stop being so pessimistic," Hermione scolded.

"I think I'm allowed to be a little pessimistic," Harry replied sarcastically.

"And why's that?" Hermione pushed, annoyed.

"I--nothing," Harry said quickly. He wasn't about to tell Hermione about his problems. Hermione frowned, looking at him closely as if trying to figure out what was going on by boring into his head. Harry frowned as she looked at him.

"Fine," she said in a tone clearly displaying disbelief. "Well anyway, you shouldn't have run off like that."

Harry scoffed and began walking back towards the villa. Hermione followed him doggedly, trudging through the sand after him.

"Hermione, will you please just stop?" Harry asked when he reached the steps to the porch.

She stopped as the foot of the stairs looking up at him imploringly. "I just want to know that you're okay," she said sincerely.

Harry sighed and came back down the stairs. He hugged Hermione to him and sighed again. He moved her back to arms length and looked at her. "I'll be fine," he said firmly, more wishing it to be true.

Hermione nodded uncertainly. Harry let go of her and walked back up the steps, turning back once he reached the porch surface. Hermione stood at the base of the stairs looking torn.

"It's okay, Hermione," Harry said. "Go home."

Hermione nodded slightly and turned to leave. With one last glance back at Harry she spoke. "Just be careful, Harry."

Harry watched as she walked down the beach, vanishing from sight a little further on. Harry sighed once more and turned around, going back into the villa, the door swinging shut behind him.

OoOoO

"Okay team, I have made some decisions regarding our situation with the Chasers. I have selected two to replace them and I hope all will go smoothly." Wood looked around at the team assembled on the benches around him.

Draco stood in the back leaning casually against a pillar. Harry avoided looking over in his direction despite the pull he felt. When Wood gave his announcement, Harry looked up suddenly.

"Wait, you picked them already?" Harry asked.

Wood turned to him, a slight frown on his features. "Yes, we need them now."

"But I thought you were going to have them fly with the team first," Harry said, confused.

Wood sighed in annoyance and Harry wondered what the problem was. "Actually they flew with us yesterday. Unfortunately, _someone_ was too busy relaxing in the Caribbean to join us," Wood said testily. Harry lowered his gaze as Wood glowered at him. He only looked up when Wood began speaking again. "Alright, so I'll introduce them now. Can you come in here please?" Wood called.

All eyes turned to the door of the changing room as it swung open. Two people walked through it, a man of Harry's age with dark hair and hazel eyes and a girl a few years older with dirty blond hair and blue eyes.

"Everyone, this is Michael Corner and Tara Whistner," Wood introduced the new players. Harry's eyes snapped to Michael when his name was said. He had definitely changed in the years since school.

He was taller and his muscles were better defined. He smiled warmly at Harry as he caught him looking at him. Harry forced a smile and looked away. His eyes fell on Draco in the back of the room.

Draco was smirking as his eyes rested intently on Michael. Harry saw Michael smirk as he caught Draco's eyes. Harry frowned at the look that passed between the two.

He was brought back to reality as Wood broke up the meeting. Harry stood up slowly, not knowing exactly what to do. Most people were chatting with the new arrivals. Before he had a chance to decide, he was dragged away by Wood.

"What, Oliver?" Harry asked when he had been pulled into a corner of the room away from everyone else.

"Harry, you have a responsibility to this team," Wood said seriously and Harry refrained from rolling his eyes. "Malfoy was here yesterday. You may have gotten off easy; he didn't ask too many questions, but I think next time he won't be so lenient. Don't disappear on us again, okay, Harry?"

Wood said this with so much pleading in his voice that Harry couldn't help feeling bad. He nodded in agreement and Wood patted him on the shoulder. Together, they went back to the team. Most were crowded around the blond girl, who was talking easily to them. Michael had migrated away from the group closer to Draco.

Harry moved cautiously towards them, careful not to make it obvious. He stood close to the group, but his ear was tuned to Draco's conversation.

"Well, Michael, you've come a long way," Draco said appreciatively, taking in his body.

Michael smirked at him. "You haven't changed a bit," he said.

"Perhaps," Draco agreed. "But then again, there are many ways one can change."

Michael raised an eyebrow, smirking as he visibly scanned Draco's lithe body. He licked his lips and Draco smirked wickedly. "And how have you changed?" he asked curiously.

Draco moved closer and wound a finger around the collar of his shirt. "Would you like to find out first hand?" he offered. Michael just smirked at him, and Draco backed away slowly.

Harry didn't hear anymore as Wood motioned the entire team out onto the pitch for practice. He was caught in the rush and didn't hear the end of the conversation.

"You know those days are long behind us," Michael said seriously.

"Yes," Draco agreed. "But that doesn't mean we can't take a trip down memory lane."

"Good point," Michael said. "Give me a call sometime."

"I'll do that," Draco said. Michael nodded to him and smirked one last time before following the rest of the team out onto the pitch. Draco lingered back for just a moment, watching Michael walk away. After a second his gaze was transferred to Harry walking away from him.

He scanned him from head to toe watching him walk. He smirked to himself in a satisfied way. He knew why Harry had disappeared off to the middle of nowhere. This was why he had not pressed too much on his whereabouts the day before.

It was going perfectly. He could see Harry breaking before his very eyes and they had barely begun. Draco watched as the team took off from the middle of the pitch. His eyes followed Michael around the stadium.

An evil smirk blossomed onto his face as he continued to watch Michael circle above him. He chuckled darkly and retreated into the locker rooms before Apparating home, an idea already blossoming in his mind.

_

* * *

A/N: Oh, look! You guys are so lucky today! It's officially midnight over here so I'm posting it early! Happy Monday and may yours go better than mine is sure to (finals :-p) _


	17. Apology Rejected

**Chapter Seventeen: Apology Rejected**

Harry landed smoothly on the grass of the pitch. He glanced around as the other players landed next to him. Michael hopped off his broom easily and walked toward where the team was reconvening. Harry followed, his eyes on his back.

"That was good!" Wood said enthusiastically. "Good first practice everyone."

He then dismissed them and the team made their way to the locker rooms. Harry walked slowly behind, thinking to himself. Michael slowed down to walk beside him and Harry wasn't sure what to do.

"Uh, hi, Michael," he said awkwardly. "How's life been?"

"Not too shabby," Michael replied with a smile. "Can't complain anyway."

"That's good," Harry said.

Michael nodded cheerfully. "So I hear you married Ginny Weasley," he said.

"Yeah," Harry replied shortly. Michael gave him a curious look but didn't press it. "How do you like the team?" Harry asked, changing the subject.

"Seems pretty nice. I had no idea Draco was the owner."

Harry stopped suddenly and looked at Michael.

Michael also stopped and gave him a questioning look. "What?"

Harry hesitated for a second then decided to just ask. "You're not _involved_, are you?"

"Involved?" Michael repeated, thinking. "We were never really _involved_, more like a shag here and there. I have to say he looks even better now than he did in school. Wow, I wouldn't mind getting _involved_ now, if you know what I mean."

Michael raised his eyebrows suggestively at Harry, who frowned slightly. Michael smiled and started walking again. Harry moved slowly along with him.

He didn't know why it bothered him, but he didn't like the idea of Draco sleeping with someone. Harry admitted Michael was good looking; tall, dark, and handsome; all that kind of thing, but Draco would want something more, right?

Harry shook his head as they neared the changing rooms. Michael gave him one last fleeting smile before disappearing through the door. Harry didn't follow him but leaned against the wall outside. He rested his head back and closed his eyes for a second.

He knew he would have to go home after this. He still felt incredibly guilty for proposing his idea to Draco, but on the other hand he was still furious with Ginny for keeping her secret.

He knew he shouldn't have run off like that, but to his credit he did send an owl with his location just in case. He had hoped she would get the hint and stay away. Luckily she had.

Harry sighed and opened his eyes. The bright early winter sun reflected off the frost still present on the grass. He shivered slightly as a breeze rustled the grass. He pushed himself off the wall and went to clean up then get ready to face the monster.

OoOoO

Ginny paced around the living room, wondering when Harry would be home. She glanced at the clock on the wall. She knew that practice ended not long ago.

All weekend she had wracked her brain for the possible reason of his new silence and distance. She thought it couldn't all be because of a slap, but what else could it be?

She sighed as she turned at the corner of the sofa, pacing some more. She did want to work on the marriage but all they seemed to do was fight. She hadn't gone after Harry over the weekend for fear of pushing him further away. She vowed to be more understanding, to listen more. Maybe that would help.

She moved around the couch and sat down on it, but just then the front door swung open. She jumped up immediately as Harry came in the room. He didn't look up but took off his jacket and shook the water from it. It was now pouring outside.

Ginny waited anxiously as he hung it up on the hook by the door and slipped off his shoes. He turned and looked at her finally. There was little expression in his face. Ginny let out a sigh of relief and moved towards him.

She came closer and hugged him. He put his arms around her slowly, not hugging very tightly.

"Harry, I'm so glad you're back," she breathed. Harry didn't respond. She pulled away to look at him and he gave her a small smile. She seemed to take this as a good sign. "How was your weekend?" she asked tentatively.

"It was fine," he replied.

"Harry," she said pleadingly, looking up into his distant eyes. "You do know I'm sorry, right?"

"For what?"

Ginny paused for a second and Harry waited.

"For what, Ginny?" Harry asked in a slightly more dangerous voice.

"Um..." she said, stalling. In truth, she really didn't know why on Earth Harry could be so upset with her. She hadn't done anything that she hadn't already apologized for, or so she thought.

"You don't even know, do you?" he asked, growing more annoyed by the second.

Ginny pulled herself together and looked Harry in the eye. "No, actually," she said. "I don't know why you're so upset! I don't know why I should be apologizing."

"So you can't think of _anything_ that you've done that I could possibly be mad for?" Harry exclaimed.

Ginny threw her arms up. "No! Whatever happened was apparently not my fault. Something is just going on with you that I can't fathom."

"And you don't think you've done anything wrong to cause this?" he asked incredulously.

"If I have, I certainly don't know it," Ginny said angrily then her tone turned softer. "Please, Harry, let's just forget this and go back to normal."

"Normal?" Harry scoffed. He shook his head in disbelief. What did they know about normal?

Ginny nodded in response and moved forward once again. She placed a hand gently on his chest and looked up at him hopefully. "Let's just forget about it, okay?"

Harry looked down at her and frowned. There was no way he would ever be able to forget about her betrayal. "Sure," he said coldly.

She smiled and stood up to kiss his cheek softly. Then she turned and walked away from him into the kitchen. Harry remained where he was in the living room staring after her.

She had absolutely no idea why he was so angry. She didn't even think about what she had done in the past. Absolutely no clue! Harry's expression darkened as he heard her humming happily in the kitchen.

He hated that she didn't know, didn't understand. How could she be so selfish? Harry knew that he couldn't take this much longer. She was keeping her secret from him and apparently it wasn't that important to her if it didn't even come up on her radar when he accused her of keeping things from him.

As he watched her flit back and forth in the kitchen making tea, he knew he had to do something. He wanted to punish her. He needed Draco.

OoOoO

"How's life, Draco?"

Draco paused, taking a sip of his drink. He replaced it carefully on the coaster on the coffee table. The curtains were opened and early afternoon sunlight filtered into the large living room. Across from Draco sat Blaise in the over-stuffed arm chair.

"Not bad," Draco said with a smirk.

"And things are progressing?" Blaise asked with a wicked smile.

"Very well indeed."

"Hermione tells me that your Potter seems to be having some kind of mental breakdown," Blaise said, a bit of unease showing in his voice. "If Hermione's picking it up, it won't be long until she figures it out."

"As of now, there is nothing to figure out. Things are progressing, however, a new twist has been added. One that could turn out, or be manipulated, to be very useful."

"Useful?" Blaise asked. "How?"

"Do you remember Michael?" Draco asked lightly, taking another drink of his tea.

"Corner? Yeah, how could I forget. I learned how to perform sound blocking spells _very_ well that year," Blaise said with a small shudder.

Draco disregarded it and continued. "Yes, well, he is one of the new Chasers on the team."

"Really?" Blaise asked, interested. "And how will that be useful?"

Draco gave him an exasperated look and sighed. "Blaise, how would you feel if an old boyfriend of Hermione's came into town suddenly?"

Blaise frowned, thinking. "I wouldn't like it," he said.

"Exactly. Now, I know Potter doesn't really care for me at the moment, but he's being driven to me out of some kind of _mess_ with his wife," Draco said, waving his hand vaguely. "Even if he doesn't like me, he may feel threatened by Michael, an old friend, a very hot old friend."

Blaise laughed and shook his head as Draco spoke. "You are quite the mastermind," he told him, grinning. "I don't quite understand it all yet, but I'm sure you have it worked out somewhere in there."

Draco nodded in acquiescence. He took another drink and set the cup back down. "Now," he said, "how to manipulate this to my advantage."

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

OoOoO

"What the hell was that?!" Wood exclaimed as the team reconvened on the grass, sodden in the pouring rain. Large droplets of water ran down the teams face, causing their clothes to adhere to their bodies. They could barely see through the torrential rains.

They only looked at Wood as he went on, ranting about their performance. The rain had impaired their vision so much that not much had been accomplished. No one spoke up against Wood. They all stood in the heavy rain and waited for him to finish.

Harry glanced over to the stands where Draco had left and was walking toward them. He had an umbrella, lucky for him. Harry grumbled under his breath but it was lost in the howling winds. He looked over at Michael, who was no longer listening to Wood, though it still appeared to be so.

Instead, his eyes were trained on Draco as he approached. Today, Draco was wearing a light jacket with a green tee-shirt that clung to his body. His jeans were weighed down by the moisture condensing on the bottom, pulling them down over his slender hips. Harry saw Michael lick his lips at the sight.

Harry forced himself to look back at Wood who was still pacing back and forth and yelling about the practice. Finally, he stopped, seeming to realize that they were all standing in the rain and soaking to the bone.

"Fine, fine," he grumbled. "Go change."

The team let out a collective sigh of relief and turned to go back to the changing rooms.

"I expect better tomorrow!" Wood called after them. Harry just rolled his eyes and continued on his way. He looked around and noticed that Michael was no longer with them. He looked back and saw him talking with Draco in the middle of the pitch.

Harry stopped, having a conflict with himself. In the end, he turned around and stole back towards Draco and Michael. He couldn't hear what was being said over the wind but saw Michael reach out and touch Draco instantaneously. Harry frowned at the gesture as he stood half-hidden behind a goal post.

Michael turned and left, walking in the opposite direction and off the field. Harry saw Draco walk the other way and he turned to leave. When he turned around, he came face to face with Draco.

"Malfoy!" he said, surprised.

"Spying on me, Potter?" he drawled, a hint of amusement laced in the statement.

"No," Harry scowled.

Draco smirked and moved closer to him. He was still fairly dry under his umbrella while Harry remained soaked. His clothes clung to his body from the constant rain. "Aw, Potter," he said, mock pouting. "Don't you trust me?"

"No," Harry replied scathingly.

"That's too bad," Draco said while moving ever closer. Harry backed up until he hit the pillar. His heart was beating about as fast as the rain was pouring down from the sky. Draco raised a finger and traced the number on Harry's rain-soaked shirt.

He leaned in closely to Harry, the umbrella coming above them to shield the rain momentarily. Water dripped off of Harry's hair and ran down his face. Draco reached up and moved a lock of hair away from Harry's face. Harry's eyes followed the hands movement the entire time.

Draco licked his lips and leaned in closer to Harry so his lips were only inches above Harry's. Harry's breathing was quickened as Draco came closer.

Draco's lips quirked into a half smirk as he surveyed Harry. "What's wrong, Potter?" he whispered. His warm breath ghosted over Harry's lips in the cold, rainy air.

Harry swallowed hard and shook his head. In some ways he wanted this, in others he was terrified, and something in the back of his mind was yelling that he should do it for some unknown reason.

"Nothing's wrong?" Draco repeated. "Good, then you won't mind if I do this."

His lips descended quickly on Harry's. Harry immediately opened his mouth, letting Draco's probing tongue enter into its hot caverns. The umbrella fell from Draco's hands as he dropped it, reaching to grab around Harry's waist.

Harry didn't protest as Draco jerked his body flush against his. His hands came up to Draco's sides and under the shirt that was rapidly growing wet. Draco didn't seem to mind as the rain fell, soaking his hair and clothes.

The kiss was hot and fevered as it continued. Harry couldn't help but moan as Draco nipped his lower lip, thrusting his hot, moist tongue inside his mouth. Draco quickly abandoned Harry's mouth, ignoring the small noise of protest that issued from it.

He moved down Harry's neck, kissing and nipping at the light flesh there. Harry's head rolled back in pleasure as Draco moved further down. He came to the collar of the shirt and decided it needed to go.

He tore the wet shirt off Harry and tossed it to the side. Harry shivered slightly as the wind hit his already wet skin. Draco kissed down his neck, across his chest, licking a path down his stomach. Harry leaned back against the pillar for support as Draco ravished his body.

Draco's hands came to Harry's slim hips, feeling the jeans there. Harry moaned in pleasure as Draco's tongue dipped below the rough material of the waist line. Draco carefully undid the zipper of Harry's pants, taking an agonizingly slow amount of time.

"Ma-Malfoy," Harry panted, barely audible over the whistling wind. Draco looked up at him as he pulled down his jeans to around his feet. His wet hair fell in front of his face as he grinned wickedly up at Harry.

Next, he pulled down Harry's boxers. He wasted no time into taking Harry in his mouth. Harry threw back his head and let out a loud groan. Draco moved with agility and skill, swirling his tongue over the head of Harry's member.

Harry's hands found their way into Draco's hair, tugging on it lightly as Draco continued to bob back and forth. Harry could feel himself building to a climax. He had never reached it this fast with Ginny. Not that they'd ever done anything like this either, out in the open.

Harry's scream of completion was lost as the wind whipped up around them. He came fast and hard. Draco swallowed easily as if he'd had many a days practice. As he stood back up, he yanked Harry's boxers up with him.

Harry stood leaning against the pillar breathing hard. Draco kissed his neck again, tasting sweat and rain water. When he reached Harry's face, he kissed the side of Harry's mouth. Harry slowly opened his eyes and looked at Draco.

Draco quirked an eyebrow and smirked at him. He moved the same piece of soggy hair out of Harry's eyes again, and Harry gave him a confused look. Draco said nothing. He just backed away, smirking, until the rain swallowed him.

Harry looked down at the ground and sighed to himself. He pulled up his soaking pants and reached over for his shirt. He pulled it over his head, shivering in the cold. He looked to where Draco had disappeared and shook his head sadly.

Then he turned slowly and walked back to the locker rooms. As Harry passed the woods, a dark figure hidden by a large tree watched as he went. If Harry had noticed the person, he would have seen an amused smirk form on the figure's face.

* * *

A/N: Please review:) And may all your Monday's be happy. 


	18. At the Ministry

**Chapter eighteen: At the Ministry**

"Pansy, are you listening to me?"

"Huh?" she said distractedly, looking as if coming back from a dream. "What? Oh yes, Blaise. I'm listening."

He gave her a calculating look for a second and she scowled at him. He rolled his eyes and continued with what he'd been saying.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?"

Pansy sighed and shrugged. "I really don't know, Blaise. It _is_ Draco after all. He's bound to do whatever he wants without thinking of the consequences."

"Have you thought of the consequences?" Blaise asked after a moment of silence.

"Well," she said slowly. "There are two ways it could go. Either Draco succeeds and Potter is as stupid as we always suspected, or something goes wrong, the more likely of the two."

"Of course something is going to wrong," Blaise said plainly. "We're talking about Potter. He's about as predictable as the weather. Tons of things could go wrong."

"You haven't told Granger, have you?" Pansy said, suddenly suspicious.

"What? No!" Blaise exclaimed. "Like I would be that stupid. Hermione would kill me in a second and then she'd go after Draco."

"True," Pansy said thoughtfully.

Blaise nodded as though it was obvious. "She'll figure it out anyway. Potter is already getting sloppy and whatever they're doing has barely started. I don't understand how they're going to hide this."

"Draco will find a way," Pansy said plainly.

Blaise nodded and rolled his eyes. "He always gets what he wants."

"Too bad he hasn't figured it out yet."

Blaise sighed and nodded again. He glanced over at the clock situated over the mantle piece and got to his feet. Pansy followed him and also stood up.

"I'd better be going," Blaise said.

"Yeah," Pansy agreed, glancing at her watch. Blaise smirked at her as she looked up. "What?"

"Nothing," he said evasively, slipping on his coat. "It's just... Secret affairs are supposed to be secret."

Pansy scowled and began ushering him toward the door. Blaise gave her one last knowing grin as she shoved him out the door. He heard it slam shut behind him as he walked down the front steps.

He walked to the end of the lane before Apparating back to his house. He walked past the wilting flowers in the garden. A light frost still clung to their petals as they drooped toward the ground.

He entered through the front door and made his way through the house until he came to the living room. Hermione was there sitting on the couch with little Jamie on her lap. She was reading him a story but he had fallen asleep.

Hermione looked up when she heard Blaise come in. She picked up Jamie carefully and lay him down in his crib. She spread a blanket over him then turned to Blaise.

She greeted him with a loving kiss then went back to the couch. Blaise followed her and sat down beside her.

"How was lunch with Pansy?" Hermione asked while picking up the books scattered across the coffee table.

"It was... good," he replied, thinking back to all they had discussed.

"That's good," Hermione replied distractedly. She was busy thinking of what she would do about Harry. There was silence as they both fell into their own thoughts.

Hermione was the first to snap out of her trance. She looked around her, remembering where she was. She turned to Blaise who was still sitting in thoughtful silence.

"Do you--" Hermione cut herself off, not sure of how to say what she was thinking. Blaise looked at her suddenly as though he only just realized she was there.

"Do I what?" he asked. 

Hermione paused, wondering how to best phrase it. "Do you think something is going on with Harry?" she asked. "He's been pretty quiet lately and then last weekend he ran off to the Caribbean. I just want to know what the matter is."

Blaise hesitated, knowing he couldn't tell her of Draco's plan. She would know soon enough anyway, whether he told her or not. In the end he decided it would be best not to tell her, at least not yet.

"I don't know," he said finally.

Hermione sighed in disappointment. "I didn't suppose you would. I was just wondering."

Blaise nodded, wondering if he should tell Draco that Hermione was becoming suspicious.

"What do you think?" he asked, deciding it best to see what she thought before he panicked.

"Well, last time I talked to Harry, he told me not to worry. He said nothing was wrong, but he was obviously lying. He's still having problems with Ginny and something seems to be happening with Draco as well, I'm just not sure what. No one will tell me anything. Ginny hasn't told me anything about their problems. I think she's afraid of admitting them to herself."

Blaise gaped at his wife but quickly stopped as she looked at him. She was the smartest person he had ever known.

"And those are all your guesses?" he asked incredulously. Hermione just shrugged.

"A few."

"A few?!"

"There are others but I don't want to say anything just yet."

_What others?_ Blaise wondered to himself. Hermione didn't look as if she was about to divulge any more information so he didn't question her on it. He knew he had to get in touch with Draco soon. It was probably a good idea that he know about the present dangers.

"How is Draco doing by the way?" Hermione asked, bringing Blaise out of his thoughts.

"Draco?" Blaise repeated. "I think he's doing well."

"Well, that's good," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Has he talked about the Quidditch team much?"

"A little, but nothing too important," Blaise lied. Hermione nodded to herself again.

"I heard they got new Chasers. Do you know who they are?"

"Uh..." Blaise said, thinking. "One is Michael Corner, you remember him? And the other is a girl named Tara Whistner. I think Draco said she used to play for Norway."

"I remember Michael from school, but I've never heard of this Tara girl."

"Yeah, apparently she isn't very well known but a very good flier."

"That's good though. The team needs a little boost in self-confidence. Draco has just been draining them," Hermione said.

"Draining them? He really doesn't do anything besides supervise," Blaise said, defending Draco.

"I know," Hermione said in a calming voice. "It's just his presence puts a block on the team."

Blaise scoffed and rolled his eyes. Draco would laugh when he told him. Hermione smiled slightly and patted his knee.

"Draco is just kind of that way," Blaise said.

"Yeah," Hermione said, grinning. Blaise smiled too and gave her a quick kiss.

"I'm going to get something to eat. You want anything?" he asked, standing up. She shook her head and he left for the kitchen. She sighed and looked to Jamie still sleeping in his crib. She wondered if she should tell Blaise about her suspicions about Harry's orientation.

_No,_ she thought. _Not yet. I'm not even sure yet. I'll just wait a little while._

OoOoO

Harry waited as the golden grilles clanged up and down. He sighed impatiently and glanced at his watch for the millionth time in the past five minutes. They reached another floor and a few pink paper airplanes flew in and fluttered around his head.

Finally, they reached the floor he wanted. He pushed his way from the back of the elevator to get out. He received a dirty look from an elderly witch as he accidentally knocked off her hat as he struggled out. He picked it up and apologized then walked away, muttering to himself.

He walked through the maze of cubicles to the back where the window was positioned. Today the weather was a dreary grey outside. Harry figured the Magical Maintenance must not be in the greatest mood that day.

"Hey, Harry!" Someone called his name as he worked his way through the cubicles. He turned to his right and saw Seamus walking toward him. He smiled at him as he came closer.

"What are you doing here?" Seamus asked when he got closer.

"I'm having lunch with Ron actually," Harry told him. "Well, late lunch since practice got out an hour ago."

Seamus looked down at his watch and saw that it was already 1:00 PM.

"How is practice going these days?" Seamus asked. He thought he saw Harry scowl for half a second but thought he must have imagined it.

"It's good," Harry said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "The new Chasers are working out pretty well."

"Hey, that's great!" Seamus said, giving a real smile.

"Yeah," Harry said, as though thinking. Seamus looked at him closely for half a second before deciding it wasn't his business.

"Well, have fun at lunch. I'll probably be here when you get back," he said.

"Yeah," Harry said again. He bid goodbye to Seamus and continued on his way towards Ron's desk.

He came to a small cubicle in the back. It was bigger than when Mr. Weasley had worked there and there was also a window now. Only one desk occupied the space, giving it the appearance of being much larger.

"No, I don't have the papers for the biting watches!" Ron was saying to a rock on his desk. Harry stood in the doorway and raised an eyebrow, quite amused. "Go ask Jeremy. He hides everything," Ron muttered more to himself than the rock.

He looked up and saw Harry in the door with his amused grin. He waved him in and turned to the rock once more.

"Hey, listen, I have to go. Find Jeremy, he probably has it." Ron sighed and Harry heard a click. Harry raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Talking to a rock? Now I know you need company, Ron, but a rock is just not the way to go about it."

Ron rolled his eyes and grinned at Harry. "It's not just a rock. It's bewitched to be a microphone too," he said.

Harry grinned again. "I was just messing with you. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, hold on," Ron said, standing up and clearing some of the papers away from the desk.

He shoved them into a drawer and folded up one little pink memo. It shot out of his hand and down the hall. Ron then turned to Harry.

"Okay, let's go."

They took the elevator back to the main floor then walked out into the busy London street. They looked around, wondering where they ought to go. Eventually, Ron suggested the small cafe on the corner and they took off.

They were seated inside the cafe rather than outside. The weather was even colder now. Winter had definitely arrived. They ordered from their waitress and settled down in the warm cafe.

"So Ron," Harry said. "How is everything going?"

"I guess you could say life is good at the moment," Ron said in a satisfied voice.

"How is that?" Harry asked. Ron hesitated for a moment before replying.

"Just, things are good, all around, you know?"

"Not really," Harry said with a grin. Ron looked nervous all of a sudden and his eyes darted all over the place.

"You know, just it's all good," Ron said.

"Right," Harry said slowly. Ron smiled, relieved and didn't continue the conversation.

"How's Quidditch?" Ron asked. "Malfoy still being an ass?"

"Ass..." Harry said quietly. "What? Oh, yeah, he's quite a nuisance."

Ron nodded, not noticing Harry's momentary lapse. Their food arrived and Ron immediately dug in. Harry picked slowly at his food, pushing it around his plate. He ate some of it but wasn't particularly hungry.

They finished their lunch fairly quickly. Soon they were walking slowly back to the Ministry. They kept up a light conversation, not going too deep into any subject. Ron asked about Ginny and Harry simply told him that things were going okay.

They took the visitors entrance back to the main floor. There, Harry was accosted by the new Minister of Magic.

"Harry!" he cried jovially, shaking his hand as he always did. Harry allowed himself to be dragged away from Ron in the hands of the Minister. He waved goodbye to Ron as the Minister dragged him through a few halls to his office, talking cheerfully the entire time.

Harry went along with him, knowing that the fastest way to get away was to go with him.

"So Harry, how is your Quidditch team doing this season? Pity you didn't quite make it to the finals. I guess that's what happens when you get new Chasers in the middle of the year."

Harry nodded along vaguely as he talked, not really listening. He was too busy thinking up plausible excuses that would get him out of the office.

He was saved the trouble as his secretary stuck her head in the door.

"Sir, we've got a problem with the Goblins down in Hartfordshire," she said in her monotonous voice. The Minister looked a little flustered at being interrupted in his ramblings on Harry's Quidditch team.

"Very well, very well," he said, sounding a little disappointed. "Sorry to cut this short, Harry, but I must tend to these Goblins. You know them, always sticking their noses where they don't belong..."

The Minister went on as he walked out the door ahead of Harry. As Harry walked out the door, he saw the secretary wink at him. He made a mental note to send her some flowers.

The Minister left him by the Fountain of Magical Brethren mumbling something about Goblins interrupting important moments. Harry was about to leave when a familiar drawling voice reached him over the noise of the fountain.

"Why Potter, what are you doing here?" Draco asked, coming out up to Harry from a door in the side of the room. Harry sighed before turning to face Draco.

"I just had lunch with Ron if you really need to know," Harry said. Draco smirked at him.

"Now, there's no need to use that tone," Draco said, still smirking. "I'm not your boss here."

Harry's eyes narrowed as he looked at him. "No, you're not, so go away."

"Potter, you do know that if you want to cheat on your wife, turning away your only chance is not your best idea?" Draco asked slyly.

"Don't remind me," Harry muttered to himself, his mind turning back to a few days ago when Ginny had not even known why he was mad.

"Come with me, Potter," Draco said, turning around and walking away. Harry hesitated for half a second before following him.

Draco walked around the edge of the room and down a hallway. He turned to the right and went through a doorway. Inside was a gleaming bathroom. Harry looked around, a little confused.

"Malfoy," Harry said. "This is a bathroom."

"Correct. My, Potter, your intelligence astounds me," he said sarcastically. 

Harry scowled at him and rolled his eyes. "What are we doing here, Malfoy?" he asked.

Draco smirked and moved closer to Harry, backing him up into a sink. "Well, I thought that was obvious," he drawled, placing his hands on either side of Harry on the sink ledges.

"Malfoy," Harry said, his eyes wide as Draco moved in to kiss his neck. "W-We're in a _public_ bathroom! In the Ministry!"

Draco continued to kiss Harry's neck, his tongue sliding over Harry's soft skin. He nipped at the exposed flesh slightly, moving up to nibble on Harry's earlobe.

"That's the beauty of it," he whispered, his hot breath flowing over Harry's ear, causing him to shiver. Draco kissed Harry's ear.

"B-but..." Harry said, trying to find a logical reason but his brain didn't seem to be working. Draco kissed his cheek then the side of his mouth. He nibbled Harry's lower lip as Harry tried to think of a reason to stop this.

"Ma--" Harry started but didn't finish as his mouth was covered with Draco's. Draco's tongue slithered into Harry's open mouth, tasting the raven-haired man. Harry moaned slightly when Draco nipped at his lower lip.

Their tongues met in a fiery dance in the hot caverns of Harry's mouth. Draco moved closer and Harry was pushed back harder against the sink. Harry made a slight noise of discomfort as the sink dug into his back.

He was awfully hard by now, as was Draco. He could feel his hard cock pressing into his own. Harry pushed his body up into Draco's. Draco gasped when he felt Harry's own throbbing erection hit his own.

Harry reached up and shoved his hand under Draco's button down shirt. Draco moaned as Harry's calloused hand skimmed over his perfect skin. His own hands moved to the zipper on Harry's jeans but Harry pushed him away, panting.

"Malfoy," he panted, trying to catch his breath. "We can't do it here; there are people, just out there." He gestured with his hand towards the door. Draco rolled his eyes and grabbed Harry. He shoved him into one of the stalls before attacking him with his mouth.

Harry stood against the wall, breath coming in ragged gasps as Draco ripped off his shirt. He kissed his way down his toned body, tongue swirling skillfully over Harry's well-toned body. He reached the zipper on Harry's pants once again and didn't hesitate to pull it down.

Harry didn't say anything this time. His eyes were shut and his breath hitched as Draco blew air over his already throbbing member.

"Malfoy, please," Harry begged. "Come on, just do it."

Draco smirked up at him before taking him in his mouth. His tongue swirled around the head of Harry's cock and Harry cried out in pleasure. His hands were in Draco's soft hair, tugging on it as he was brought closer and closer to completion.

"Oh god," he gasped. Draco moved deliberately, building Harry up to a blinding climax. Harry's breathing was becoming shallower and shallower as he was sent over the edge.

Tiny white stars danced in his vision as he came forcefully in Draco's mouth. Draco cleaned him up with his tongue before moving back up his body. He kissed Harry lazily while playing with his hair.

Harry noticed that Draco hadn't been fulfilled and moved to fix that, but Draco moved away from him.

"You can thank me another time, Potter," Draco said, smirking. He gave Harry one last quick kiss before leaving the room. Harry sighed and slowly pulled on his clothes. He still didn't quite understand why he was doing all this, but he was and there was really no way to stop it now.

He sighed again as he zipped up his jeans. He opened up the door of the stall to go wash his hands, but he saw as he came out, leaning casually against the sink, a sandy haired man, smirking at him.

Harry stopped dead as he came face to face with Seamus.

"Are you sure there isn't anything you want to tell me?" Seamus asked him and Harry knew he was caught.

_  
A/N: Tada! It's now officially winter break. So happy Monday, please review and I'll see you on Christmas!_


	19. Manipulative Schemes 101

**Chapter Ninteen: Manipulative Schemes 101**

"Oh god, Seamus. What am I doing?!" Harry asked. Seamus was still leaning against the sink casually, listening as Harry questioned himself.

"I don't know. What _are_ you doing?" he asked. Harry frowned and looked up at himself in the mirror. He turned on the water and quickly splashed himself in the face with it.

He looked over at Seamus who was raising a skeptical eyebrow at him. He sighed and turned back to the mirror. He had come out to find Seamus and had been forced to tell him everything.

Seamus hadn't said anything as Harry had told him of his semi-affair with Draco. He hadn't known how to exactly describe it, given that it wasn't quite any kind of normal relationship. Neither liked the other. Harry wasn't sure of Draco's reasons for wanting to do this in the first place.

His reasons were clear. He hated what Ginny had done to him, cheated on him and felt no remorse. He wanted her to feel his pain, know that twisting feeling every time she looked at him. He hated that she didn't feel it.

"I... I'm... Oh god. I'm fucking around with Draco Malfoy!" Harry moaned, burying his face in his hands.

"But why?"

"To get back at Ginny," Harry said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But _why_?" Seamus pushed, looking for the real reason. He knew that Harry would never do something like this, especially with Draco Malfoy, without a damn good reason.

"Because she cheated on me!" Harry exclaimed then clamped a hand over his mouth. "I wasn't supposed to tell you that," he said, his eyes wide. "Please, don't tell anyone you know."

"She what??" Seamus repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah!" Harry said. "And she doesn't even care either. You should see her, walking around like nothing is wrong. When I ask her if there's anything she wants to tell me, she just says, 'Oh, no, everything is just fine.'"

"Okay, I understand more now," Seamus said slowly. "But what I don't get is why Draco Malfoy of all people?"

Harry turned to him and stared at him, dumbfounded. "I don't know," he said, shrugging. "It just kind of happened."

"Huh," Seamus said, thinking. "Well, you did pick a good one."

"Seamus!"

"What?! He's so hot, Harry. Please tell me you have at least noticed that."

Harry grumbled something and shrugged his shoulders again. Seamus smirked as he watched Harry.

"Good. If you're gonna do this, you've got to do this right."

Harry looked up at him, shocked.

"You don't care about what I'm doing?" he asked in disbelief. Seamus shrugged.

"Of course I do. I want you to be happy and if Ginny isn't doing it, you gotta find someone who will."

"But I don't like Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed, disgusted. "That's not what this is!"

"Uh huh. Right, Harry," Seamus said skeptically, still smirking.

"It's not!" Harry said, outraged.

"Right, well, what have you done so far?" Seamus asked interestedly.

"I'd really rather not go into that," Harry said, looking uncomfortable.

"Fine," Seamus sighed. "But will you at least tell me if he's as well-endowed as the rumors say?"

"Seamus!"

"Oh, come on, Harry! You're the only one besides Pansy and Michael that know. Can't you give me just a tiny hint?"

Harry looked up sharply when Seamus mentioned Michael's name. "What do you know about Michael?" he asked, ignoring Seamus' question.

Seamus paused, thinking. "From what I've heard, and what I knew in school, they had quite the little relationship back then. Nothing serious, of course, but always good for a shag."

Harry scowled slightly when he heard this. Seamus looked at him closely, wondering what he said that could have caused this.

"Why?" Seamus asked suspiciously.

"No reason," Harry replied quickly. He took a breath and pushed himself off the sink.

"Right," Seamus said, clearly not believing a word.

"Right, well," Harry said briskly. "I better be going. You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" he asked pleadingly.

"Of course not!" Seamus said. "Really, Harry, you can trust me." Harry gave him an uneasy look and Seamus scoffed. "No, _really_."

Harry nodded and turned to go out the door. Before he pushed it open though, Seamus called after him.

"Don't forget, Harry. I'm here if you need anything, just to talk if you need it."

Harry nodded quickly and disappeared out the door. Seamus sighed to the empty washroom and laughed to himself.

"I have a feeling you're going to need to talk to someone before this is all over."

OoOoO

"Draco, you better be careful," Blaise warned him. Draco played idly with the tea bag in his cup as he stared out the window of his living room. Outside, the sky was a grey color and rain threatened to fall in the early winter afternoon.

"Why's that?" he drawled, turning away from the window and facing Blaise who was sitting on the adjacent couch.

"Hermione," Blaise said simply. Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I'm serious. She definitely suspects something is going on between you and Potter. It won't be long until she figures it out for sure."

"Blaise," Draco said plainly. "You think I would let Granger find out that easily?"

"Well, no, but--"

"Right," Draco interrupted him. "Stop worrying about her. If she does find out, I'll take all the blame. I could care less what she thinks of me."

Blaise sighed and rolled his eyes. He knew Draco never seemed to care for his wife. Luckily, Hermione was very open-minded and had been able to forgive him much quicker than Ron or Harry had.

"But she already suspects and Potter isn't the best at hiding things, you know."

"I know," Draco agreed. "That just means I'll have to find more ways of shutting him up."

"Please," Blaise said, cringing. "I don't need to know the details of your sordid affair."

Draco chuckled evilly to himself at the thoughts that entered his mind. Blaise rolled his eyes again as he saw his friends mind starting to wander.

"So what exactly are you doing to Potter? I mean, not 'the acts', the mind messing," Blaise clarified quickly. Draco looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, I don't exactly know why he is so eager to cheat on his wife, but he seems committed at least. I think he's having some kind of inner struggle, unfortunately for him, his libido wins out every time. The Weaselette must not know how to please him."

"And you do?"

"Oh, yes," Draco drawled, smirking. Blaise just shook his head.

"But you're not sleeping with him, right?"

"Of course not!" Draco exclaimed, looking horrified. "I wouldn't do that," he said with a shudder.

"Good," Blaise said, relieved. _God only knows what would happen if they made it that far..._

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Blaise," Draco said condescendingly.

"Sorry," Blaise apologized. "I was just making sure."

"Don't even think that," Draco said forcefully.

"Okay, okay," Blaise said in acceptance. "I won't."

"Good, I won't either."

OoOoO

Harry slipped quietly through the door and took off his coat to hang up on the rack. He slipped off his shoes and went in to the bedroom to change. When he came out, he saw Ginny sitting on the couch. Their Muggle T.V. set was turned on and she appeared to be watching it.

She smiled warmly at him as he sat down. She must have forgiven him for running off and believed he had truly forgiven her too. She snuggled closer to him and he resisted the urge to shove her away.

"How was lunch?" she asked pleasantly, looking up at him.

"It was... good," Harry said, looking for the right word. Finding none, he had opted for the old standby reply.

"How's Ron doing?"

"He seems good," Harry replied again.

"Did he tell you whatever it was, you know, when he came by a while ago...?" Ginny said, carefully skirting the issue of what had happened that day.

"You know," Harry said thoughtfully. "He didn't." His mind wandered to that night and he felt a hot flare of anger build up in his chest as he remembered what Ron had told him then. He bit his lip to stop from saying something inappropriate. Ginny actually thought he was fine now. He didn't want to disturb that image... not yet, anyway.

"Well, that's interesting," Ginny said, not noticing Harry's sudden silence. "I wonder what it was."

"Dunno," Harry replied shortly, not trusting himself to say anymore.

They were silent for a minute and laughter could be heard issuing from the T.V. in front of them. Harry stared at the screen, not really seeing it. The anger that had flared up earlier was now festering low in his gut. His shame from being intimate with Draco had all but disappeared.

Every time he was reminded of her treachery he couldn't help but think he was doing the right thing. She deserved to feel his pain. She seemingly held no regret for her actions, why should he?

The T.V. show ended and Ginny turned down the volume and looked up once again at Harry.

"Did you see anyone interesting in the Ministry?" she asked. Harry had to stop himself from laughing as he thought of his encounter with Draco and what she would say.

"Uh, yeah, I saw Seamus for a while and the Minister, of course. He dragged me away talking about something or other," Harry said while rolling his eyes.

"You know he worships you, Harry."

"Worships," Harry scoffed. "He's just relieved I got rid of Voldemort before he went into office."

Ginny flinched when Harry said his name. Harry rolled his eyes. It had been five years for god's sake.

"Oh, Harry," Ginny sighed. "Don't be so pessimistic about people that like you. They don't always have an ulterior motive."

Harry frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. Who was she to talk about people liking him? _She_ didn't even like him! Or so it seemed.

"Yeah," he agreed just so she would let it go. As he suspected, she nodded her head happily. Above her he rolled his eyes but said nothing more.

She pushed herself off the couch and padded into the kitchen. He could hear her rustling around with dishes, obviously making something.

"You want some tea?" she called from the kitchen.

"No, thanks," Harry replied. He switched off the T.V. and stared at the black screen, his own image glaring back at him. The noises Ginny was making filtered through his head and were gone. He stared unseeingly at the screen.

_This is right, right?_ he questioned himself.

_Of course it's right,_ his inner voice kicked in. _She deserves to feel the pain, the deception that you feel._

_Yeah... Yes._

OoOoO

"Good, very good," Wood praised the team as they landed together in the middle of the pitch. Harry touched down beside Michael, ignoring the dark haired boy.

Wood appeared much happier with the days practice. The weather had improved slightly for the day. The sun had managed to peek through the ominous clouds for a little while earlier.

Wood went on for quite a while on all the improvements the team had made since the last practice. Harry stopped listening halfway in as his attention was drawn away from Wood to Draco who had attended once again.

He was standing off to the side with a thoughtful look on his face. He smoothed down his shirt unnecessarily. Harry's eyes were drawn to his slim waist and the jeans that hugged his ass perfectly. Harry shook his head and turned back to Wood, trying to figure out what he was saying.

"...much better! Hopefully we'll improve on this in the future practices. Alright, that's all for today. See you all tomorrow."

Most of the team turned to leave. Harry saw Michael hesitate and move toward Draco. Harry stalled for a minute, crouching down to retie his shoe lace. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Michael approach Draco.

"You look good out there, Michael," Draco said in a suggestive tone.

Michael chuckled softly. "You look good down here," he replied with a smirk.

"I always do," Draco replied pompously and Harry had to stop himself from laughing derisively.

Michael only smirked. "I don't know," he said evasively. "I think I might need some proof."

Harry looked up sharply, forgetting about pretending to do up his shoelace. He felt something boil deep in his stomach. His eyes widened as he saw Draco smirk and lean in very close to Michael, presumably whispering something in his ear.

Michael chuckled darkly and nodded his head slightly. Draco stepped back and slid his arms around his waist. Harry's mouth dropped open at the sight. He remembered that he wasn't supposed to be watching though and quickly looked away, still watching out of the corner of his eye.

"Ready for some fun?" Draco drawled.

"Always."

Draco smirked and pulled Michael closer. Harry watched in utter shock as the pair disappeared in a pop.

_

* * *

A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! You didn't think just because it was a holiday I wouldn't post this, did you:) I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and don't forget to leave me a present by reviewing:D_


	20. The Mind of a Mastermind

**Chapter Twenty: The Mind of a Mastermind**

Draco and Michael appeared in Draco's large bedroom. In the corner was a grand four-poster bed draped in a rich green silk. The walls were painted a light sage green color, complimenting the bed nicely. Two windows on either side of the bed let in the white afternoon sunlight reflecting off the grey clouds.

Draco dislodged himself from Michael as they arrived and moved around the bed to look out one of the windows. Michael came up behind him and slipped an arm around his waist, rubbing his flat stomach soothingly. He leaned in and kissed his neck softly.

Draco sighed and looked downward. He reached up and removed Michael's hand, turning around as he did so.

"What?" Michael asked as Draco moved out from by the window and back toward the center of the room. Draco didn't respond to the question.

Michael followed him from the bedroom, down the hall and stairs, and into the living room. Draco sat down casually on the couch and gestured for Michael to join him. Michael sat down beside him, scooting closer.

Draco moved around on the couch so that he was straddling Michael. He looked down at him and grinned an evil grin. He leaned down and kissed Michael slowly.

Michael moaned softly as Draco nibbled on his lower lip. He ran his tongue around Michael's lips, asking for entrance. Michael obediently opened his mouth for Draco's hot tongue.

Michael groaned as Draco settled himself further between his legs, feeling his growing erection pressing into his own. Michael's hands came up and stripped off Draco's shirt easily as though he'd had years of practice.

The shirt was thrown to the side and Michael's hands caressed Draco's pale skin. Draco moaned softly as Michael's hands ran up and down his body. He moved from the dark-haired man's mouth to suck on his tanned neck.

Michael moaned and the sound vibrated through Draco's body. He threw his head back as Draco licked and sucked at the exposed flesh.

"Fuck, Draco!" he gasped when his hands traveled further down his body, coming to the waistline of his jeans. Draco pulled back to smirk at him before giving him another quick kiss and moving down his body.

Michael's breathing was heavy as Draco moved farther south. Draco's eyes gleamed as he pulled down Michael's zipper.

"Wait," Michael panted, looking down at him and Draco paused. "What about Harry?"

Draco looked up sharply, taken aback. He quickly got off Michael, staring at him in shock. "What about Potter?" he asked.

Michael pushed himself up on the couch and gave Draco a look that plainly told him he knew exactly what. "Come on, Draco. I saw you two the other day, in the rain," he said, as though it was obvious.

Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, but it's not a big deal. He means nothing to me."

"You are still as manipulative as I remember," Michael said, grinning.

"How do you know I'm manipulating him?" Draco asked slyly and Michael gave him a withering look.

"I know you better than you think, Draco. Besides, it _is_ Harry. You've been obsessed with him in some form or other forever."

Draco scoffed and ignored the remark. He sat back down beside Michael and reached over for his shirt. He slipped it back over his head and said nothing.

"So if you're manipulating him, what are you using me for?" Michael asked.

Draco gave him an obvious look. "What do you think?" he drawled.

"Draco," Michael said, smirking softly. "Do you really want to be this deceptive?"

"If I wasn't then what would I be?" Draco asked facetiously, smirking.

Michael smirked and looked at Draco slyly. "What do you want me to do?" he asked suddenly.

Draco raised an interested eyebrow and his smirk widened. "I knew I could count on you."

OoOoO

Harry watched as Draco and Michael disappeared from the Pitch. He stared in shock at the spot from which they had gone.

_What the hell was that?!_ he thought. _What are they doing together?_

He stood up slowly from where he had been crouched down pretending to do up his shoelaces. He walked as though in a trance back to the locker rooms.

He stared hard at the ground as he walked back. He didn't understand this feeling that was welling up inside him. _He_ was supposed to be using Draco. He wasn't allowed to be having another affair on the side!

He almost felt as if Draco was cheating on him.

_No, that's crazy,_ he told himself. _He's not cheating. What we're _doing_ can't be considered anything that can be cheated on._

He reached the door to the changing rooms and went inside. Everyone else had already left by that time. He took his time stripping off his clothes and stepping under the warm water from the shower.

As the water ran over his body, Harry thought to himself.

_I don't understand what Malfoy is doing. Well, I mean, I _know_ what he's doing with Michael, but isn't he supposed to be with me? I mean, not with me, but I'm using him. Michael shouldn't be in the picture! Why is it that as soon as Michael shows up he doesn't even think twice about shagging him?! That's not how this is supposed to work. He's only supposed to be with me!_

Harry barely noticed the irrationality of these thoughts as they ran through his head. He scowled at the thought of Draco and Michael together.

He turned off the water quickly and stepped out of the shower, shivering slightly in the cold that filled the room. The cold wind blew through the cracks in the building and whipped around the room.

He dressed quickly and left the room. He pulled his coat tighter around himself as he walked down the path from the stadium. The sky was covered in a light grey cloud cover in the early afternoon. Harry shivered as the wind speed increased.

_What am I going to do about Malfoy?_ he thought to himself. _I don't like him going off with Michael, it's not good. What should I do?_

Harry shook his head as he reached the end of the path. He didn't know why this bothered him so much, but the thought of them together made his blood boil.

Harry looked around quickly to make sure no one was around and Apparated away. He appeared in an alleyway near the foot of his apartment building. He walked out to look up at his building.

He grimaced at the thought of having to go in and see Ginny again. She was still acting as though nothing had ever happened, as if everything was just perfect. Harry knew it wasn't though.

Just the thought of her consciously lying to him made him feel sick. And now Draco was off having some tryst with Michael! Harry felt anger building up inside him at the two thoughts combined. He wasn't sure why the latter made him feel that way, but he couldn't suppress the feeling.

He was about to enter into the building when a faint voice sounded in the back of his mind.

_"If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me."_

He stopped with his hand on the door. He backed away slowly from it, thinking hard.

Seamus' voice became stronger and louder the more Harry thought. Seamus was gay. He didn't seem to mind about what Harry was doing. He was available. He could keep a secret...

Harry turned abruptly from the front door and walked in the opposite direction down the street. He kicked a pebble along as he went, still considering the words and his own thoughts. He looked up at the small grocery store as he passed, remembering that fateful day just two months ago when Draco had come into his life once more, for better or worse.

Harry sighed and kept walking. None of his thoughts had been rational as of late. This new batch was just as crazy as the last, and yet they somehow made perfect sense.

As Harry stopped and looked in the window of a small jewelry shop at the gold wedding bands displayed there on a burgundy pillow, he looked down at his own band. He played with it, biting his lip as he thought.

He felt a sudden surge of anger at the band sitting there so idly on his finger. He wanted to take it off and fling it in the gutter. He resisted the urge though and took a deep calming breath. He looked back up and saw his reflection in the dark glass. He looked perfectly calm on the outside, but inside he was having a mental battle.

He knew he had to do something about all of this, Ginny, Malfoy, himself. He just knew. He turned suddenly from the window and walked hastily into an alleyway close by. He looked around surreptitiously before Apparating out of sight.

He appeared outside a small town at the foot of a snow covered mountain. He walked into town and past a small fountain in the center that was already frozen over from the cold air. He walked past many small cottage-like houses until he got a ways out of town. There under the mountain stood a house very unlike the others.

It was built in a much more modern style than the others, very square and white. Harry walked up to the front door and knocked, his heart beating rapidly. He heard some scuffling around inside before the door was opened.

Seamus stood there in a pair of boxers and no shirt. He opened the door wider and smiled when he saw that it was Harry. He stepped aside for Harry to enter.

"Did I interrupt something?" Harry asked as he slid past him. Seamus grinned mischievously and shut the door behind him, following him into the living room.

The room was decorated in a very modern fashion. The couch was a bright red and very square looking. On the walls were paintings of shapes using bright blues and greens. A fire was roaring in the stainless steel fireplace.

Harry sat down on the couch and was surprised to find that it was fairly comfortable. Seamus moved around behind him, pulling open some of the curtains that had been closed. He also bent down and scooped up his pants that were lying in a pile on the floor.

He grinned devilishly at Harry as he slipped them on. Harry just laughed and waited for him to finish.

"It's okay," Seamus called. A door creaked open and a man with brown hair and blue eyes came out. He smiled shyly at Harry before walking over to Seamus. He whispered something in Seamus' ear. Seamus nodded and the man turned to leave. He smiled awkwardly at Harry as he went out the door.

"Sorry," Seamus apologized. "Shawn was supposed to leave an hour ago. I guess we lost track of time."

Seamus raised a suggestive eyebrow and Harry laughed. Seamus sat down on the couch beside Harry, curling his legs underneath him. "So, why the unexpected visit, Harry?" he asked.

Harry hesitated, unsure of how to say what he meant. "Well, you remember when you said if I needed something, I could ask you?" he asked carefully.

"Yeah," Seamus said easily, wondering what this was all about.

"Well, I think there's something I need," Harry said slowly.

"Really? And what would that be?"

"I need you to help me make Malfoy jealous."

Seamus' eyebrows rose significantly at these words. Harry looked completely serious as he waited for his response.

"What?" Seamus asked, unsure if he had heard correctly.

"I need your help," Harry repeated.

"To make Malfoy jealous," Seamus finished the sentence slowly. "But why?"

"Because he's going off with Michael!" Harry exclaimed.

Seamus looked confused. "I thought this was to get back at Ginny."

"It is," Harry said.

"Well then why--ohhh," he said as another thought entered his mind.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Oh, nothing," Seamus said dismissively.

Harry looked at him suspiciously. "No no, you said 'ohhh' in that tone. What did you mean?"

"Nothing, Harry, nothing," Seamus said, waving away the question.

Harry shook his head. He was too tired to think clearly at the moment. "Well, will you help me?" he asked, going back to his original quandary.

Seamus paused, clearly thinking over the proposition. "What exactly do you want from me?"

Harry opened his mouth to speak then stopped. He hadn't really thought about it that much to tell the truth. "I don't know... I thought you might have some ideas," he said, looking at him hopefully.

Seamus chuckled at his suggestion. "And why would you think that I would have suggestions?"

Harry looked around pointedly at the articles of clothing strewn around the room. "No reason, you just seem to have a bit more experience in that department," he said, giving him a look that said it was obvious.

Seamus grinned at Harry and couldn't help but laugh. "You may be right, but I've never exactly been the 'mistress' if you could call it that."

"But you do know the basics, right?" Harry asked.

"Well, yeah. But how far exactly do you want to go with this, Harry?"

"Umm..." Harry bit his lip as he thought it over. "Not too far. I mean, I don't want to sleep with you or anything."

"Aww," Seamus said, pouting. "You don't want me?"

"That's not what I meant," Harry said and Seamus grinned.

"Okay, Harry, I think I can help you out. But are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"Yes," Harry said immediately. Seamus looked at him closely then as if measuring him. Harry eyes him curiously, wondering what he was doing. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Seamus said. "Okay, Harry, you've got yourself a deal."

"Great," Harry said, smiling. "How do you want to start this?"

"Where do you see Malfoy most often?" Seamus asked.

"Quidditch," Harry replied at once.

"Hmm... Do you have any games coming up?"

"Actually, our last game of the season, since we didn't make it into the finals, is next Saturday," Harry said.

"Well then, Harry," Seamus said with a wink. "Save me a seat."

Harry grinned at him and got up off the couch. Seamus followed him to the door and opened it for him. Harry stepped out onto the porch where a light mist was falling.

"See you Saturday," Seamus said with an evil grin. Harry smiled too as the door swung shut behind him. He took a deep satisfied breath and Apparated away

_

* * *

A/N: Well, Happy New Year! I hope you're all happy and not too hungover ;) Then again, drunken reviews are pretty funny ;) So please leave a review:D_


	21. Spectator Sport

**Chapter Twenty-One: Spectator Sport**

Over the next few days, Harry spent most of his time practicing for the upcoming match, not that it really mattered. This was only an informal game to signify the end of the season. November was nearly over and the finals were coming up.

The team hadn't made it into the finals due to the changes made in the middle of the year. Harry didn't particularly care at this point. His mind was too preoccupied with Draco, Ginny, Seamus, and Michael. Sometimes he just couldn't think straight.

The week leading up to the match, Draco didn't come to practice once. Harry was almost relieved and definitely glad that Michael had no more chances of talking to Draco. But he was also a little sad that Draco hadn't come.

Every time the twinge of sadness hit him, he quickly shook it away, blaming it on nerves for the upcoming match.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday passed by quickly. Harry's nerves were building up in his chest. Not really because of the match but because of what he knew would be happening on Saturday. He wondered how Seamus would act.

Would he be over the top or coy? Harry didn't know. He kicked himself for not discussing this further with Seamus before leaving last week.

That afternoon after practice, Harry met up with Ron for lunch again. They went to a little cafe on one of the many shopping streets in London. Ron greeted him cheerfully as he walked up.

"Hey, Ron," Harry replied easily, settling down in his chair. He thanked the server as she set down menus in front of them.

"Are you ready for the match tomorrow?" Ron asked, picking up his menu. Harry thought of the many things that could possibly go wrong the next day but just smiled at Ron.

"I think so," he lied. "Are you coming?"

Harry held his breath, secretly praying that Ron would not be attending. He hated the thought of what would happen if Ron found out about all of this.

"I... can't," Ron said slowly.

"You can't? Why not?" Harry asked, sensing something was off. Ron paused, hiding his face behind his menu. Harry gave the drink menu a skeptical look.

"Um... I just have some things to do," Ron said, still hiding his face. Harry could see the edges of his ears which were a bright red. Harry gave him a confused look which he missed, being hidden and all.

"Ron, do you need to tell me something?" he asked. His mind flickered back to several weeks ago when Ron had come to tell him something. Ron lowered the menu slightly and Harry saw that his blush was gone.

"Actually, I--"

"Good afternoon, guys," the waitress interrupted him and Ron blushed again. "What can I get you?"

Harry threw another questioning glance at Ron before smiling at her, making her melt.

"I'll have the turkey sandwich," he said, handing her back his menu.

"And for you, sir?" the girl asked Ron. Ron looked taken aback at being called "sir".

"Er... I'll have the same," Ron said quickly, handing back his menu also.

"Okay, I'll put those in right away," she said with another smile. She turned and left them. Harry turned back to Ron who still looked confused at being called sir.

"Ron," Harry said, getting his attention back. Ron's head snapped back to Harry. "What were you going to say?"

"Oh, never mind," he said quickly.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ron said quickly. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Uh huh..." Harry said slowly, in a disbelieving tone. He knew Ron was hiding something, but what?

"So do you think you'll win tomorrow?" Ron asked, effectively changing the subject. Harry let him do it and the conversation continued through the rest of the meal.

They talked for a long while discussing the team's prospects for the next year. Harry's mind wasn't really in it though. He kept going over what would happen the next day. Granted he had no idea what would happen, he kept worrying.

After a while, they finished their meals and parted. Ron wished Harry good luck for the next day.

_You have no idea,_ Harry thought to himself. He waved good-bye to Ron before stealing down a dark alleyway. He Apparated home, appearing in another alley behind his building.

He walked up to the door and pulled it open. He was greeted as usual by the doorman. Harry gave him a quick smile before taking the stairs to his flat. He reached the fourth floor and unlocked the door.

He went in and saw that Ginny was home. Her coat had been hung up on the rack by the door. Harry did the same, making sure to take off his shoes and put them into the bedroom. He knew how mad she got when he left them by the door, especially when they were as dirty and wet as they were.

When he came out he heard movement in the kitchen and followed the sounds. Ginny was there wearing an apron and mixing something in a bowl. Harry sat down on the stool across from her at the counter.

She looked up and smiled at him. Harry forced himself to smile back, reminding himself that he had to be nice to her despite the amount of hatred burning in his heart.

"I'm making cookies," she said when he just sat there.

"Oh," he said. "That's nice."

She looked up at him for a moment then went back to the bowl, deciding not to comment.

"Er...Ginny?" Harry started awkwardly and she looked up at him expectantly. He hadn't been speaking much to her lately, so this was a big surprise.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Are you...uh... are you coming to the match tomorrow?" he asked tentatively.

"Oh," Ginny said quietly. "Actually, I kind of have something planned."

Harry took in this information and felt a wave of relief wash over him. This wave was followed by another wave of suspicion. What did she have planned?

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just meeting up with an old friend," Ginny replied.

"Who?" Harry asked, prying further.

Ginny sighed in exasperation. "Harry, why does it matter?"

"It doesn't, I just want to know who it is," he said.

"Well, if it doesn't matter, you don't need to know," she said simply, shrugging. Harry narrowed his eyes at her response.

"I just want to know," he said, growing annoyed. Why she trying so hard to conceal who she was meeting? Unless it was someone Harry didn't know about...

"Harry, it doesn't matter. It's just a friend," she said.

"Right," Harry muttered, still not believing her, but allowing the subject to drop nonetheless.

"Don't worry. I'll be back after and we can celebrate your win," Ginny said cheerfully, smiling at him.

Harry had to physically stop himself from shuddering at the thought of what 'celebrating' would entail. He could barely stand to sleep in the same bed with her at the moment knowing what she had done, let alone actually have sex with her.

"Sure," he said, now desperately hoping they would lose tomorrow. She seemed satisfied with his answer, not catching the disgust in his voice. She smiled at him and went back to mixing the dough.

Harry sighed quietly and pushed himself off the stool and went back into the living room. He sat down on the couch and switched on the T.V. The people on the screen droned on and Harry found his mind wandering yet again.

He felt the nervous feeling growing once again in his stomach. He told himself to calm down and that thinking about what he couldn't control would do no good. He closed his eyes momentarily. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Everything would be fine. He just had to trust that Seamus knew what he was doing. Harry sighed once again and opened his eyes. He told himself for the final time to stop worrying and switched off the T.V.

OoOoO

Harry woke up early the next day as was his custom on game days. He made himself a cup of coffee and drank it while calming himself. He looked out the kitchen window to the grey skies. A fog had rolled in around the city overnight.

Harry knew it would be a cold day. He just hoped it was a little cleared out at the pitch. The actual Quidditch pitch was far away from his home. It was located in northern England.

He downed the last of the coffee and set the cup in the sink. He set about gathering his Quidditch things. When he had them all, he pulled on his coat and slipped on his now dry shoes.

He left the flat, closing the door quietly. Ginny hadn't stirred at all while he'd been going around their room. He often wondered if anything quieter than a bulldozer would wake her up.

He Apparated to the pitch. It was a home game so they were at the normal place where they usually practiced. Even two hours before the match started, it was already teeming with spectators.

Harry slipped in the back, careful not to be seen by anyone. He found that he was often mobbed by tons of people just wanting to shake his hand. It was probably one of the reasons their team had one of the highest supporter and spectator numbers of all the Quidditch teams.

Once Harry got into the changing rooms without being spotted, he saw that most of the team was already present. Draco was there as well. Harry tried to ignore Draco as best he could. He walked past him and set his equipment down on the bench.

Draco leaned casually against the wall, watching the team prepare. Wood was pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. Harry got ready quickly then sat down to wait. Michael joined him shortly. Harry looked over at him but found that Michael's gaze was fixed on the blond at the back of the room.

Draco had an infuriating smirk on his face and Harry scowled as he saw it. He also saw Michael return it with a sly grin. Harry frowned and looked away quickly, not wanting to be caught staring.

When Harry turned away, Draco's smirk widened and he raised a suggestive eyebrow at Michael, who had to work hard not to snicker at Draco's ingeniousness. Harry was definitely taking the bait.

Finally, Wood walked to the front of the team and began his usual "pep talk" mainly consisting of some words of encouragement followed by a few muttered sentences to himself then finally just waving them away onto the field.

Harry took a deep breath and walked to the entry way through which they would fly. Harry heard the announcer come on and introduce the other teams' players. Harry mounted his broom and waited for his name to be called.

"And here they come!" the announcer yelled over the deafening cheers. "Schiller, Mandley, Whistner, Corner, Grace, Deckle, AAAAAANNNNNNNNDDDD--" Harry took a deep breath and kicked off from the ground. "POTTER!!!"

He shot out the opening to ear shattering screams. He couldn't help but smile as he heard all the cries and whistles. He zoomed around the pitch, barely hearing the announcer over the roar of the crowd.

He circled over the heads of the many spectators finally coming back to the middle of the pitch where the teams were hovered, waiting for the referee. A short little man walked out onto the pitch, carrying the box that held the balls.

He opened the box and released the bludgers. They were off like a shot and the Beaters followed. The snitch was visible for about half a second before vanishing too. The ref removed the bright red quaffle and threw it into the air.

They were off. Harry shot up in the sky, immediately searching for a flutter of tiny gold wings. Beneath him the quaffle passed from player to player faster than Harry cared to keep track.

He ducked a few bludgers as they came hurtling past him in the sky. One of their Beaters went whizzing past him, hitting the bludger so hard the bat almost cracked.

The other teams Seeker was tailing him closely and Harry was beginning to get annoyed by it. He took off in the opposite direction, easily loosing the other. He made a sharp turn around the goal post, rising straight upward into the air.

That's when he saw it. About fifty feet below him fluttered the tiny Snitch. Harry started to dive for it then suddenly slowed down.

_I'll be back after and we can celebrate your win._

Ginny's voice sounded in the back of his head and he slowed more. In a flash, the snitch was gone. Harry pulled out of the dive, noticing that the other seeker was once again right on his tail.

He sighed in annoyance and once again went into a dive. This time, the Seeker followed, only inches behind. Harry was about two feet away from the ground when he pulled up violently on the broom handle, soaring horizontally over the grass. He didn't look back to see if the other seeker had made it or not.

He didn't hear a whistle so he assumed he must be alright. He rose vertically, surveying the pitch again. He chanced a look at the scoreboard since the announcer's voice was almost non-existent from the noise of the crowd.

They were up, 70-40. Harry supposed Michael and Tara must be doing a good job. He didn't stop to think as he saw another glitter of gold at the far end of the pitch. Ginny's voice once again entered into his head, but he pushed it away, reminding himself that this was his job.

He took off for the glimmer of gold hovering just to the left of the center goal post. Harry heard a whistle of air as the other seeker suddenly appeared to his right. Harry glared at him and pushed further ahead.

The other started to fall behind but put on a burst of speed, nearly overtaking Harry. They were only feet away from the Snitch. Harry reached out a hand as did the other seeker. He could see that the other was only inches away from grabbing the tiny golden ball.

Harry lunged forward, snatching the Snitch right out from under the other seekers hand. He catapulted forward, falling head over heels off his broom. Luckily, they were only a few feet from the ground. Harry rolled several feet before coming to a rest on the hard, cold, frozen ground.

He stood up gingerly, holding his back that had a twinge in it from the angle at which he had rolled for so long. He was soon engulfed by his teammates as he limped slightly towards them. Over their heads he could see the other Seeker kicking the ground angrily.

A few of his teammates grabbed him and hugged him tightly to which he let out a painful yell. They quickly released him and stepped back. They summoned the medi-wizard over who took a look. He performed a basic healing spell which took care of his back.

The team chatted joyfully as the crowd around them screamed their approval. Harry couldn't help smiling as they all talked happily. The Snitch was still clutched in his bruised hand and he handed it back to the referee who stuck it into the box along with the rest of the balls.

Harry saw that the crowd was thinning and felt a jump in his stomach. He looked up in the stands and saw Seamus grinning down at him. He motioned that he was coming down and Harry's heart started beating quickly with nerves.

Wood came up behind him and clapped him on the back. "Good match, Harry!" he cried jovially. "Really good! Wonderful way to end the season. Now don't forget, we still have practice next week. Gotta get ahead for next year."

Harry nodded and Wood walked away, whistling to himself. Harry saw Seamus coming toward him, grinning. He glanced to his left where he saw Michael and Draco talking together. Draco was smirking at Michael as Michael talked happily about the match.

Harry saw Draco reach out touch Michael's side softly. Harry felt his blood boil at the sight. He forced himself to look away as Seamus neared him.

"Hey, Harry!" he greeted him. Draco looked over when Seamus spoke. Seamus was being rather loud since there were still people around, making it hard to hear.

"Seamus, you came," Harry said politely, wondering if this was right. Seamus grinned cheekily at him and Harry assumed so.

"Of course I came," he said playfully. "I can't go missing seeing my favorite player ever, can I?"

Harry laughed and grinned at him. Seamus winked suggestively and Harry laughed more. Draco was watching them now, his eyebrows knitted together. Michael raised an eyebrow as he watched Seamus and Harry too.

"I guess not," Harry said, blushing slightly. Seamus' grin widened as Harry played the perfect part, though he didn't know it.

"Aw, Harry," Seamus said, reaching out and grabbing his arm briefly, before letting it fall softly back to his side. "I wouldn't miss seeing you for the world."

Harry blushed even more at his comment, thanking Merlin this wasn't real.

"Thanks," he choked out. Seamus just continued to grin at his adorably naivety. Draco's eyes were narrowed now as he watched the interaction. Seamus moved closer, lowering his voice and grabbing Harry's hand, making it appear that he was very close to Harry.

"You're a natural, Harry. He is eating this up." Seamus moved back and let go of the hand. "You know, Harry," he said, his voice back to the normal level. "I don't see enough of you."

Harry's mouth almost dropped open at such a blatant sexual innuendo but managed to keep it shut, though he was on the verge of laughter.

"We should have lunch sometime," Seamus continued, visibly not reacting to Harry's shock.

"Um, sure," Harry agreed. He was trying really hard not to look over at Draco at this moment in time.

"Great," Seamus said, smiling, his sea green eyes twinkling mischievously. "Owl me sometime."

He backed away then, waving good bye. He sent a friendly nod to Michael who returned it, half of a knowing smirk on his face. Harry stood there, letting out a breath he'd been holding for a while. He turned to look at Draco.

Draco looked away quickly so as not to appear that he had been listening. Draco turned back to Michael who was still looking in the direction in which Seamus had disappeared.

"Michael," he said sharply. Michael looked back at him, distracted.

"Yeah?" he replied. Draco moved slyly forward, glancing around to see if anyone was near. No one was besides Harry. Most of the fans had left and the rest were clustered around the changing rooms waiting for the players to come out.

He moved closer to Michael and slipped a hand under his Quidditch jersey. Michael raised an interested eyebrow as Draco's hand moved around to his back, caressing the Quidditch-made muscles.

"How would you like to come back to my place and celebrate?" Draco drawled, watching Harry out of the corner of his eye. Harry was watching them in shock.

Why hadn't it worked? Seamus was supposed to help him! And here Draco was, feeling up Michael right in front of him!

"Sounds like a plan," Michael replied smoothly. Harry watched in outrage as they Disapparated in a pop.

Harry felt anger blaze through his chest at the thought of what they were doing together. He hated that it hadn't worked. He would just have to try harder. He needed to do more. He needed Seamus.

* * *

A/N: Big apologies for not updating yesterday. I spent nearly 14 hours in airports yesterday and by the time I got back, it was late and I was tired. Blah, school starts in 2 days. ANywho, please review! Promise next week will be back on schedule. :) 


	22. Deception at its Best

**Chapter Twenty-two: Deception at its Best**

"Fuck him!" Draco exploded as soon as they appeared in his living room. Michael just rolled his eyes and moved over to sit on the couch.

"Qu'est-ce qu'il a pensé?! Ce petit salaude! Il me rend furieux! Cet Irlandais idiotique pense qu'il peut voler Potter de moi?! Je ne pense pas!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Michael interrupted. "English please."

Draco stopped, not realizing he hadn't been speaking in French. "Oh," he said simply. He walked around the couch and sat down, breathing hard in anger. "What was he thinking?! He lets that slut of an Irishman come on to him! What the fuck is wrong with him?!"

"I don't know," Michael said, knowing he couldn't say anything. He had seen what Seamus had been doing but wasn't about to tell Draco about it. He actually found all of this quite amusing.

Draco growled to himself. Watching Seamus come on so blatantly to Harry had caused an unknown wave of dislike to come over Draco. He hadn't liked the feeling he had gotten while watching the sandy-haired man smiling charmingly at Harry and touching him so suggestively.

"Do you want me to stay?" Michael asked, growing tired of his silence.

Draco seemed to snap out of his reverie and turned to look at Michael. "No, you can go," he said.

Michael picked himself up off the couch and looked down at Draco. "Don't worry about him, Draco. No one can resist your charms," he said.

Draco looked up at him with a raised eyebrow before chuckling slightly. "I'll see you at practice," he said, smirking. Michael nodded before leaving through the front door.

Draco sighed and stared into the empty fire grate as he heard the door swing shut. He got up suddenly and took a handful of the green powder from on top of the mantle. He threw it into the grate and watched as a green fire sprang to life.

"Blaise, come here now," he called. A moment later a revolving shape appeared and Blaise stepped out, brushing soot of his robes.

"Yeah?" he asked, moving into the room. He took out his wand and waved it at his clothes, Vanishing all the remaining soot.

Draco motioned for him to sit down wordlessly. Blaise took his seat cautiously, watching Draco the entire time. He waited expectantly but when no one spoke, Blaise rolled his eyes. "Is there a reason you called me?" he asked searchingly. "What happened at the match today?"

"We won," Draco said simply and Blaise's eyebrows came together at his statement. He knew that couldn't possibly be the reason Draco had called him there.

"And?" he asked, waiting for more.

"And Potter did something very stupid."

"What was that?"

"Well, for one, he almost didn't catch the Snitch. I saw him hesitate. That could have lost the entire match." Draco paused to take a breath, and Blaise waited for him to continue. "Then afterwards, that stupid Seamus Finnigan was blatantly flirting with him. Of course, Potter is too dense to have noticed, but it was very obvious."

"So what?" Blaise asked, not seeing what importance this had.

"So how stupid can Potter be? It was obvious Finnigan was just trying to get in his pants," Draco said maliciously, scowling.

"What does it matter?" Blaise asked, still not quite understanding why it was so important.

"It doesn't really matter, but he should know better than to flirt in public like that. Potter _is_ married. You think he would catch on when someone was trying to shag him. That Finnigan is too much of a slut for his own good. He should stick to his own kind."

"His own kind?" Blaise repeated, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "You mean half-bloods like Potter or good-looking guys like Potter?"

Draco glared at him momentarily. "I _mean_ low, dirty, disgusting males, all his type."

"I don't know about that, Draco," Blaise said. "If I was gay, I would say that Finnigan isn't exactly the worst someone could do."

"Well, Potter is not someone. He is Harry Fucking Potter. He could do a lot better than that scum."

"Right," Blaise said, absorbing his words.

"I'll just have to take him down," Draco drawled and Blaise stared at him.

"Oh, come on," he said. "That's not necessary. Most likely Potter is oblivious to these advances anyway. He seems perfectly harmless. Besides, you've got enough to deal with besides messing around with Finnigan as well."

"I suppose," Draco muttered, clearly disappointed at not being able to take down Seamus.

"It'll be fine. I bet Potter had no idea what was going on. He's so clueless."

"Yeah," Draco sighed. "This has been enlightening, but I have things to do now."

Blaise took the hint and rose from the couch. He walked toward the front door, not being able to Apparate directly out because of the wards. He stopped just before stepping outside onto the porch that was covered in a light frost.

"I'm sure your manipulations will work out in your favor," Blaise said slyly. "They always do."

He left and the door swung shut behind him in the cold breeze. Draco sat on the couch thinking over his words. He settled back into a relaxing position and sighed in contentment. He was sure it would work out as well. It always did.

OoOoO

Harry walked into his living room, looking around for Ginny carefully. He'd been over the game in his head a million times. He knew he'd done the right thing by catching the Snitch, but he felt a twist in his stomach when he thought of Ginny's words.

Once he got all the way into the apartment, he found that Ginny wasn't home yet from her "meeting" with a friend. Harry sat down on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table to relax. He switched on the TV and watched as some sitcom came on.

The sound of a laugh track filled the room as Harry watched, mildly interested. He was listening closely for the tell tale sounds of a key in the lock, signifying Ginny's arrival.

He waited for at least half an hour before he heard her arrive. The lock clicked and the door swung open. Harry hastily took his feet off the table before she saw. She walked in, shaking rain off her umbrella. The grey clouds from the morning had condensed to pelt down bullets of water.

She took off her coat and hung it up on the rack. Harry watched her apprehensively, still going over what he was going to say. Finally, she looked up at him and smiled warmly. She reached up and took the pin out of her hair, allowing it to flow down over her shoulders.

She moved to where Harry sat on the couch and gave him a peck on the cheek. He inwardly cringed but didn't show it. She took off her gloves and laid them on the table.

"How was the match?" she asked finally.

"We...uh...lost," Harry said, carrying out his plan.

Ginny gave him a sympathetic look. "Oh, I'm sorry, Harry."

"It's okay. It's the end of the season anyway. There's always next year," he replied, lying easily to her face. If she could do it, he could.

"I suppose so," she said sympathetically, scooting closer. "Do you want me to cheer you up?" she asked suggestively, rubbing his shoulders in a relaxing manner.

He shrugged off her hands and stood up. She looked at him questioningly as he walked away.

"Actually, I'm just kind of tired," he said, having been unable to stand her touching him when he knew of her betrayal. It burned through him that she could just pretend like nothing was wrong.

"Oh," she said, sounding hurt. "Alright."

She stood up from the couch and went into the kitchen. Harry heard her making tea and he sighed. He knew it hurt her and he was glad. He wanted her to feel the pain of rejection that he felt. He couldn't stand the thought of her touching him so intimately as they once had.

The mere thought made him want to take a long shower and scrub all his skin off. Somewhere deep inside him his conscience was telling him that it was wrong to treat her like this and be fooling around with Draco while another stronger voice yelled that he had every right to want to get revenge and that Draco was the perfect opportunity to do so.

These voices often battled in his head. When he was with Ginny, the conscience nearly won until the louder voice screamed of her betrayal. When he was with Draco, the strong voice took control of everything, his mind and his body.

Harry heard Ginny moving around in the kitchen. At this moment, his conscience was telling him that if he wanted to at least keep a decent relationship with her, he should talk to her. For once, both voices agreed though for different reasons. The louder voice said it was so she wouldn't become suspicious.

He gave into his inner thoughts and went to the kitchen, determined to soothe her fears for the time being.

OoOoO

Harry walked through the large lobby in the Ministry of Magic, wandering somewhat aimlessly. He wasn't exactly sure what he was doing. As he rounded the Fountain of Magical Brethren, he caught sight of the Minister of Magic shaking hands with some robed wizard.

Harry dashed quickly back around the other side, hoping the Minister hadn't seen him. It didn't appear so, but Harry took no more chances. He walked straight to the magical elevators and waited until a golden grille opened for him.

He hurried inside and to the back. He was soon joined by a few wizards. Over their heads, he could see the Minister walking through the hall. He ducked down as the Minister looked his way.

To his relief, the doors shut and the elevator started moving downward. Harry waited impatiently as it stopped at every floor and people got on and off.

Finally, he reached the floor for Improper Use of Magic offices and Mis-Use of Muggle Artifacts offices as well. He stepped out, carefully avoiding a man that had a very angry-looking miniature tiger in a cage. The tiger hissed and attempted to claw him through the bars.

Harry sucked in his stomach as he slid past and out the doors. He breathed a sigh of relief as he was released into the mass of cubicles. He waded through the maze, looking for a specific desk.

Instead of turning towards where he knew Ron's office was, he took a left and went down another row. He reached the end one and stuck his head inside.

Within the cubicle was a bunch of Quidditch posters, all the men in brightly colored uniforms zooming around the pictures. Accompanying them were a few random pictures of very hot men from magazines.

Someone was sitting in a rolly-chair on the other side of the square office. Harry moved carefully into the cubicle and cleared his throat to announce his present. The man in the chair swung around and his face broke into a large grin.

"Harry!" he exclaimed happily. Harry panicked slightly.

"Shh, Ron might hear," he hissed. The man waved a dismissive hand.

"Nah, he didn't come in today, something about taking a personal day... I don't know."

"Oh," Harry said, frowning. What did Ron need a "personal day" for? He shook his head of the unnecessary thoughts and looked back at the sandy-haired man.

"Seamus, I need to talk to you," he said seriously.

"What about, Harry?" he asked, swinging his feet up to lay them casually on his desk. He waved his wand and another chair appeared next to him.

Harry sat down in it nervously. "Is it safe to talk here?" he asked cautiously.

"Uh... hold on," Seamus said. He reached over and picked up a rock similar to the one Ron had had. He clicked a button on the side and talked into the top of it. "Hey Roy, I'm taking my break, okay? Deactivate the Watchers." He set down the rock and directed Harry's attention to a small gargoyle figurine on the top of his desk. The eyes glowed red momentarily before becoming a calming blue color.

"It's okay now, no one is listening. We can put up a Silencing Charm too, just for good measure." He took out his wand once again and waved it once. A quiet fell over the cubicle and Harry relaxed.

"Okay, well, Seamus, I don't think it worked," Harry said.

Seamus raised an eyebrow. "Not work?" he repeated. "Harry, he was eating it up."

"But he still went off with Michael afterwards," Harry said dejectedly.

Seamus looked thoughtful for a second. "I think it worked, Harry," he said finally.

"What do you mean?!" he exclaimed then quickly lowered his voice, forgetting the silencing spell. "He went off with Michael and he didn't come to practice today. Michael seemed pretty happy about something..."

Seamus laughed slightly at Harry's thoughts.

Harry looked at him sharply. "What?"

"Nothing, Harry. It's just-- just because he doesn't come to practice one day doesn't mean anything."

"But he always comes!" Harry said.

"I don't know. What do you want me to do?" Seamus asked.

Harry frowned, furrowing his eyebrows in thought. "I think you should stop by practice one day," he said.

"Practice..." Seamus said, thinking. "That could be interesting."

"Yeah," Harry said excitedly. "You should come, it would be good."

"Hmm," Seamus said as his brain worked quickly. "That is a really good idea, Harry."

"Yeah," Harry said, getting into it now.

"Malfoy wouldn't like that at all. He didn't really seem to like last Saturday either though," Seamus said, chuckling evilly.

"I don't know," Harry said reluctantly. "He didn't seem to mind taking Michael off somewhere to shag no doubt. How can he do that?! I thought we had some kind of agreement! Isn't he not supposed to be with other people?!"

"I don't know?" Seamus said slowly, not sure if Harry wanted a real answer or if the questions were rhetorical.

Harry sighed dejectedly and Seamus didn't know what to do. "It's just all too complicated sometimes," he sighed. Seamus nodded understandingly. Harry stood up slowly from his chair and turned to Seamus. "I have to go," he said. "But thanks. Will you stop by this week? We have practice every morning."

"Sure," Seamus agreed. "This ought to be interesting to say the least," he added with a mischievous grin.

Harry smiled slightly and left the cubicle. He heard Seamus lifting the silencing charm and telling Roy that he was off break. Harry walked back through the maze of cubicles and took the elevator back up. As he walked out of the elevator and made for the exit, he heard someone calling his name.

"Harry!"

He stopped dead and nearly winced at the voice. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes momentarily, collecting himself.

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no,_ he chanted to himself. He grimaced, but when he turned around, he was all smiles.

"Hello, Minister," he greeted the man approaching him.

"Harry, how have you been? Finnigan tells me you won the match last Saturday; that must be nice. And, of course, you're already practicing for the next year Malfoy tells us. I suppose you've got to be in shape all time, don't you?" The Minister went on without giving Harry a chance to answer any of his questions. Eventually, he settled for being silent.

"You do know," the Minister said suddenly. "That the Annual Ministry Christmas Party is coming up soon, less than a month, Harry! You are coming, of course?"

Harry was trapped. He hated going to these Ministry functions. They were always dreadfully boring and he usually found himself alone in a corner with Ron, drinking himself into oblivion while Ginny flirted with every man in the room.

The Minister was watching him anxiously and Harry knew there was no way out. He was expected to attend no matter what. He inwardly sighed but put on a smile for the Minister.

"Of course I'm coming," he replied. "Wouldn't miss it."

The Minister grinned and slapped Harry on the back. "Knew I could count on you!" he said. "Well, Harry, I must be going. I'm looking forward to seeing you at Christmas!"

Harry nodded as the Minister walked away with a bounce in his step. Harry dragged his feet as he walked to the exit. The Annual Ministry Christmas Party, just one more thing to add to his list of things to dread in the coming month.

* * *

_  
A/N: Well, we're almost to Christmas! lol. I know, it's late, but they're some of the best ;) Please review!_


	23. Satisfaction Guarenteed

**Chapter Twenty-three: Satisfaction Guarenteed**

November passed slowly into December. Grey clouds gathered each morning, overshadowing the windows of Harry's flat in the city. Harry stared morosely out the kitchen window at the clouds gathered there.

He sighed quietly, pushing around his breakfast disinterestedly on his plate. Finally, he set down the fork and stood up from the counter. He checked his watch and saw that it was time for him to get to practice.

He moved quietly into the living room, seeing as how Ginny was still asleep. He pulled on his heavy coat and his shoes and left the apartment. Once he was out of the building he Apparated to the field.

Harry looked up at the large stadium and bit his lip nervously. It had been three days since he had gone to see Seamus at his office. He had promised to come by that week. So far, Draco had only come to one of the practices.

Harry hoped that if Seamus chose today to come, Draco would be here as well. He flinched as he felt something incredibly cold touch his nose. He looked up and realized that it had begun to snow. He shivered and pulled his coat closer around him.

He went into the changing rooms to see that they were nearly empty. He looked at his watch again and saw that it was time for practice to start. He moved cautiously through the room, looking for people.

He came to Wood's office and saw that the door was open. He knocked quietly, and, without waiting for a response, opened the door. Wood was sitting there, looking very involved in some papers on his desk.

"Uh, Oliver?" Harry asked, getting his attention.

"Harry," he said, sounding surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"It's practice," Harry said, confused.

"Didn't you get the message?" Wood asked. "I canceled it today."

"Oh," Harry said, taken aback. "Why?"

"I just need to go over some things, new strategies and all that."

"Oh, well... Do we still have practice tomorrow?"

"Of course," Wood said, as if it was obvious.

"Okay..." Harry said slowly. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

Wood wasn't paying him anymore attention. He was back to studying the papers. He nodded distractedly. Harry rolled his eyes and left the room.

_Now what am I supposed to do?_ he wondered to himself. _I could go home... No, I'd rather not._

The only thing keeping him from biting off Ginny's head was the fact that he could go to Quidditch practice five times a week. As he walked out of the changing rooms and into the biting wind, he paused, trying to think of what he could do instead.

Tiny flakes of snow drifted lightly down to settle in his messy hair. He ran a hand through it distractedly. He pulled his coat tighter around himself contemplating his options.

In the end, he decided that a visit to Hermione was in order. After all, the last time he had seen her, he had been hidden away on an island. He Apparated quickly away out of the snow that had begun to fall heavier.

He appeared at the end of the walkway to Hermione's garden. By now all the flowers were dead from frost and it looked empty. Harry walked forward over the crunching grass and to the front door.

He knocked and stood back to wait. A few minutes later the door was thrown open. Hermione stood in the doorway looking quite surprised to find Harry there.

"Harry," she said. "This is a surprise."

"I know it's early," Harry said. "But practice was canceled and..." He trailed away, not willing to say why he hadn't chosen to go home. Hermione seemed to take the hint and didn't ask him about it.

"Well, come in," she said, moving aside and gesturing. He smiled at her as he slid past into the warm house. He took of his coat and she put it in the closet for him. He went into the living room.

"Where's Jamie?" he asked, noticing the absence of the little boy.

"Oh, Blaise took him out for the day," she called from the entrance hall. She came in a moment later to find Harry sitting comfortably on the couch. She smiled when she saw how relaxed he looked. He hadn't seemed this relaxed in a long time.

"So you and Blaise are doing well?" he asked as Hermione sat down next to him.

"Yes, he's a wonderful father," she said wistfully. "Would you care for some tea?" she asked while pulling out her wand and conjuring a plate of cookies and tea.

She set it down on the table and Harry grabbed one. She helped herself to a cup and sat back on the couch.

"How are practices going?" she asked. "I never understood why you must practice all year round. It seems a little much, don't you think?"

"Well," Harry said slowly. "We have to be in the best shape possible, plus since we got new players this year, it's doubly important."

"I suppose," she said skeptically. "And does Draco attend most of them?"

"Uh... yeah," Harry said. "But it's not like he pays attention anymore," he added darkly and Hermione gave him a questioning look.

"What do you mean?"

"What?" Harry said, as though only realizing what he'd just said. "N-nothing. It's just he... he's busy, you know."

"Right," Hermione agreed slowly.

"Well, Hermione," Harry said, standing up and brushing crumbs off his clothes. "I better be going."

"But you just got here," she said.

"I just remembered something I had to do," he said quickly, hoping it wasn't obvious why he was leaving. She had gotten awfully close to the subject of Michael, something he was not very keen on discussing.

"Well, alright. I guess I'll see you at the Ministry Christmas party," she said, following him to the door.

"Yeah, the party," Harry muttered and Hermione looked at him sympathetically.

"Maybe it will be better this year," she said and Harry scoffed.

"It never is."

"Who knows, maybe something interesting will happen this time."

"One can only hope," he said while putting his coat back on. "Alright, I'll see you later."

Hermione smiled softly at him and kissed his cheek. He turned and walked down the frost covered path. Hermione leaned against the doorframe, watching as he disappeared at the end of the path.

_I have got to talk to Blaise,'_ she thought to herself. _'Something is definitely off about him._

She sighed and retreated back into the warm house while the trees swayed slightly in the cold bitter wind.

OoOoO

Seamus whistled to himself as he walked, kicking at the frozen grass. His hands were shoved in his pockets to keep them warm from the cold that was trying to creep into his body. He looked up at the large building in front of him and couldn't suppress the wicked grin forming on his face.

He went up to a side door and slid in unnoticed. He looked around at the large Quidditch stadium. The stands towered over him and even further above that were the players. He looked around quickly and saw the gleam of silver-blond hair sitting in the stands not too far to his left. He grinned to himself before wiping it off his face and moving in that direction.

He climbed the stairs to the stands and emerged on a platform filled with benches. To his right sat Draco Malfoy, his eyes fixed on the sky, watching the players zoom around. Seamus sidled over to him unnoticed.

"Malfoy," he greeted him. Draco's attention was wrenched from the sky as he turned towards Seamus.

"Finnigan," he sneered darkly. He tried to return his attention to the players but Seamus distracted him once more.

"Harry seems to be flying well," he commented, glancing up to where Harry was hovering, looking for the Snitch. Draco glared at him as if he'd said something extremely offensive. His silver-blue eyes tried to burn holes in Seamus' face.

Seamus ignored the look of pure hatred Draco was shooting at him and sat down next to him on the bench. Draco seemed to realize that Seamus wasn't going anywhere so he looked away and back to the sky.

"Why are you here, Finnigan?" Draco asked suddenly. Seamus was surprised to hear the blond talking to him but responded just the same.

"To see Harry, of course," he said.

"Why are you so interested in him?" Draco asked suspiciously, carefully gauging his answer.

"Because he's bloody gorgeous," he sighed wistfully, gazing up at Harry's circling form. Draco narrowed his eyes at Seamus. Seamus didn't seem to notice as he continued to watch Harry.

"He's married," Draco said snidely, hoping to catch Seamus off guard.

"I know," he sighed again happily. "Makes him all the more attractive, don't you think?"

Draco only glared in response to Seamus who didn't notice as he was still staring rather wistfully at Harry's flying form.

"This is a private practice, you know," Draco sneered maliciously.

Seamus sighed sadly and looked at Draco. "I know," he said sadly. "Harry told me not to come but I just couldn't help it. He's so amazing."

"Amazing?" Draco repeated skeptically, his eyes now fixed on Seamus.

"Oh yeah," Seamus said enthusiastically. "Now, I know he's married, but what I wouldn't give for a piece of that..."

Draco's eyes burned in repressed fury but Seamus was no longer looking at him. His eyes were cast skyward once more. He sighed happily as he watched Harry zoom around overhead.

Draco forced himself to stop looking at Seamus. The sandy-haired blond was taking no notice of the death glare being thrown his way anyway.

The practice ended shortly afterwards. Seamus practically jumped the fence in his excitement to see Harry. Draco's narrowed eyes followed him as he hurried down the pitch. Wood dismissed the team and most had turned to leave by the time Seamus arrived, Draco not far behind.

"Harry!" he called, excited. Harry turned to see him and smiled easily, hoping his acting was up to par.

"Seamus," Harry said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I know you told me not to come," he said with a significant glance and a head tilt towards Draco. "But I just couldn't help it. You look so amazing up there, Harry."

Harry blushed slightly at the very obvious compliment.

"Er... thank you," he stuttered out a response. Seamus just grinned at his adorable fake cluelessness.

"No problem, I'd compliment you any day."

Behind him, Draco had to stop himself from visibly gagging when he heard Seamus' overly sweet, and blatantly obvious, come-on.

"Thanks," Harry said awkwardly, not sure how he was supposed to accept the statement. Seamus just grinned and reached out to touch Harry flirtatiously.

"Hey, if you're not doing anything," he started and Draco visibly perked up. "Do you want to--?"

"Potter!" Draco interrupted Seamus before he got too far. "Go get changed."

"You can't tell me what to do," Harry said angrily. Seamus stood to the side, trying to keep the smirk off his face.

"I can, and I will. Now, go change," he snarled. Harry glared at him for a second before turning to Seamus.

"I have to go," he said grudgingly.

"That's okay, Harry," Seamus said cheerfully. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you. Ministry Christmas party _is_ in a few weeks, remember? Bye!"

Seamus walked off and Harry turned in the direction of the showers, grumbling to himself. He pushed open the door forcefully and it bounced on its hinges as it swung open, accompanied by a gust of freezing cold air.

He pulled off his clothes roughly and threw them to the side haphazardly. He was angry at Malfoy for interrupting Seamus' plan. He was so angry he didn't notice the door to the room open softly and click shut as someone entered the room.

He had his back to the room and was messing with something in his locker. He jumped in surprise and shock as it was slammed shut. He whipped around only to find himself caught between Draco's outstretched arms.

"Malfoy, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Getting what I want, Potter," he drawled.

"Look, Malfoy, I'm not really in the mood for you to--"

"Me?" Draco repeated. "Who said anything about me doing anything?"

Harry's eyes widened in shock as he realized what Draco was saying.

"But--but I can't, I mean, I don't know ho--"

"The best way to learn is by doing."

Harry stared at Draco in shocked disbelief. He had known this day would be coming, he just hadn't thought it would come so soon.

Draco took a step back from Harry, releasing him from the imprisonment of his arms. He sighed in a bored manner and raised an eyebrow at Harry.

"Come on, Potter," he drawled. "You owe me." He walked closer to Harry, pinning him once more up against the wall. He moved around to whisper in his ear. "Scared, Potter?" he whispered suggestively, flicking out his tongue to lick the shell of Harry's ear. Harry shuddered underneath him, a combination of the words and Draco's heavy breath on his ear.

"You wish," he growled back. He pushed Draco away and switched their positions quickly. Draco gave him an amused smirk as Harry's eyes burned a bright emerald green.

"Ooh, a dominant boy," he mocked.

Harry merely glared at him. "Shut it, Malfoy," he snarled before bringing his lips down upon Draco's forcefully. The kiss was rough as Harry's tongue assaulted the blonde's own mouth. Draco's hands flew to Harry's messy hair, twining inside it, tugging on it.

Harry pressed his body closer to Draco and up against the wall. He heard Draco groan when he felt the erection that had been growing ever since his locker had been slammed shut.

Harry pulled out of the ongoing kiss sharply. He kissed down Draco's jaw line, coming to the pale skin of his neck. Draco's moan vibrated through Harry's body as he latched onto his neck, licking and sucking the exposed flesh.

Harry's hands wandered to Draco's sides, tentatively brushing under the light shirt he'd been wearing under his coat. Meanwhile, he tongue slid over Draco's throat, loving the feel of it.

"Fuck, Potter," Draco gasped out as Harry's hands traveled lower. "Do it."

Harry smirked slightly to himself and clumsily undid the buttons on Draco's jeans. He slid them over his slim hips and down to the ground. His tenting erection sprang from the confinement of the jeans and Harry bit his lip as he looked at it.

"What are you waiting for, an invitation?" Draco asked, noticing Harry's hesitancy. Harry scowled at him momentarily then went back to the task at hand.

He got onto his knees and looked up at Draco. Draco gave him a look telling him to get on with it. He swallowed hard and pulled down Draco's boxers. He was confronted with the sight of Draco's throbbing erection.

He licked the tip of it experimentally and found that it wasn't nearly as bad as he had expected. He moved his tongue along the hard length, becoming encouraged when Draco gave a low moan.

He decided to go a bit further and took some of Draco into his mouth. Draco threw his head back and moaned loudly. Harry took that as a good thing and took more. He swirled his tongue around the large member, licking and sucking.

"Fuck, Potter," Draco ground out, breathing hard. "When did you--ah--learn to do that?"

Harry didn't answer; he was too concentrated on not choking. He felt Draco's hand in his hair, pulling at the messy mop. Draco groaned and Harry felt the grip tighten.

Seconds later Draco exploded in Harry's mouth. Harry tried hard not to gag as so much cum flowed into his mouth. He pulled away quickly, swallowing the thick liquid as he went. He wiped off his mouth with his sleeve and stood up slowly.

He realized that it hadn't been that bad. In fact, it had almost been enjoyable. Draco was standing against the wall with his eyes closed. His breathing was heavy as Harry watched him uneasily.

At length, he opened his eyes and smirked at Harry.

"Not bad, Potter, but there's always room for improvement."

Harry frowned slightly, not quite understanding the full meaning behind the words. Draco smirked evilly and pushed himself off the wall. He grabbed his wand and preformed a quick cleaning spell. He then pulled up his boxers and pants and moved away from Harry towards the door.

"I'll see you in practice, Potter," he said before disappearing behind the door. Harry sighed to himself as he watched him go. He wasn't exactly sure that Seamus was helping in any way. It hadn't seemed like it, but then again, Draco hadn't gone off with Michael today.

Harry shrugged to himself and turned away from the door. He gathered the things for a shower and left. Outside, Michael stood casually against a tree. He had seen Draco leave, looking quite pleased with himself.

Michael smirked and uncrossed his arms, moving away from the tree. He knew what was going on; he was a Ravenclaw after all. But there was no way in hell he was going to tell either of them.

* * *

A/N: Closer to Christmas! Please review!


	24. Breaking the Fight

**Chapter Twenty-four: Break the Fight**

Hermione sat in a chair in her living room, looking out the window at the frost covered grass in the backyard. To her left Jamie was curled up asleep in his crib. Hermione sighed to herself and stared out at the dreary landscape.

The sky was a bright shiny grey, threatening snow that had not yet shown itself. She perked up when she heard the door click open in the foyer. As Hermione watched, Blaise came down the hallway and into the living room.

He leaned over to look a Jamie momentarily before coming over and kissing her softly in greeting. She gestured that he should sit down.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"It was good, didn't really do much," he replied. Hermione nodded, not really listening to his response.

"Blaise, I want to ask you something," she said, turning suddenly serious. He raised his eyebrows.

"What's that?"

"Has Draco become involved with anyone since his divorce?"

Blaise paused, millions of thoughts running through his head; thoughts of Draco and Harry, Draco and Michael, the "plan". Hermione was watching him carefully.

"Um... well," Blaise said, stalling for time to come up with a logical response. "He did mention something about Michael Corner last time I talked to him."

"Michael Corner," she repeated thoughtfully. "Does he think it wise to get involved with someone on the team?"

"I think Draco can handle it..." Blaise said, trailing away as his thoughts wandered back to Harry. "Why'd you want to know?"

"Well, it's just Harry came by a few days ago and he was acting kind of weird."

"Kind of?" Blaise repeated skeptically.

Hermione gave him withering look. "I mean worse than usual," she said.

Blaise smiled at his wife. "I know," he said good-naturedly. "I was just kidding."

"Right," she said distractedly. "I think we should keep an eye on him in any case."

"Sure," he said slowly. What Hermione took for dislike of Harry was actually worry for Draco's sanity and the problem of what would happen when the plot was found out by all.

OoOoO

The days passed and the weather got colder. Every morning, snow threatened to fall on the countryside and occasionally it threatened the city as well. Halfway into December, Harry could be found sitting in his kitchen staring longingly out the window at the grey city.

He sighed heavily as he silently willed the snow to fall. It hardly ever did. This was another reason why he disliked living in the city so much, but Ginny had insisted.

He wondered now why he had agreed. Sitting in the kitchen staring out at the desolate smog covered sky was not very appealing.

Harry heard Ginny come into the kitchen behind him and begin making breakfast. He didn't turn to look at her. Lately their semi-truce seemed to be slipping. They were getting on each others nerves more and more.

For Harry, it was because he could barely control himself not to tell her that he knew what she had done. It killed him to see her walking around as if nothing had happened. He didn't know why Ginny had decided to become snippy with him once again.

Perhaps it was because of the upcoming holidays. Christmas was less than two weeks away. And, of course, upcoming was the ever-dreaded Ministry Christmas party.

Harry hated going to it, but he'd never had the choice. Ginny always took the opportunity to flirt with every man available. Harry had never really noticed before but, now that he thought about it, he realized it happened every year.

While she flirted, he usually ended up in some corner with Ron muttering darkly about the proceedings while having his sixth drink. This year couldn't possibly be any better. He didn't know how anything would change.

Harry was brought out of his musings by Ginny rustling around with the pots and pans. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was time for practice. He made an indistinct noise to Ginny and left the room. Ginny barely looked up when he left.

He went outside and Apparated to the field. When he arrived, he saw that it had recently snowed on the pitch. The large fields were covered by a blanket of pure undisturbed snow.

He went in the locker rooms to join the rest of the team. He changed quickly, trying not to become cold since the changing rooms were not heated. Wood led them out to the pitch, none of his excitement lost in the freezing cold weather.

When they reached the middle of the pitch, Harry saw Draco sitting in the stands once more. He inwardly groaned but then caught sight of another head of blond hair, though darker, appear suddenly in the stands.

Harry couldn't help but grin to himself. Michael caught his expression and turned his gaze curiously to the direction in which Harry was looking. He saw the two blonds sitting near each other and was unable to suppress the very Slytherin-like smirk that appeared on his face.

He turned away quickly as Harry looked over at him. Harry shook his head, thinking he must have surely imagined Michael smirking. He mounted his broom and took off, forgetting all things related to the ground.

In the stands, Seamus greeted Draco cheerfully.

Draco merely glared in return. "What are you doing here again, Finnigan?" he growled, clearly displeased at his presence.

"I came to see Harry, of course," he said as though it was obvious.

Draco's expression darkened. "But _why_?" he asked again more forcefully. Seamus turned to him with a half-annoyed expression on his face as if Draco didn't know anything.

"Isn't it obvious?" Seamus asked.

"Not really," Draco sneered, not believing he was wasting his time talking to him.

"Malfoy, Harry is hot. He is beautiful. Any gay man, or straight woman for that matter, is in love with him. And what makes him all the more appealing; he's unavailable, though, if everything goes according to plan, that won't be an issue much longer."

Draco's eyes widened as he gaped at Seamus. He snapped his mouth shut a moment later after reminding himself that it was not becoming.

So Finnigan was planning something, eh? Not on his watch. Potter was _his_ to manipulate!

"And you think Potter would cheat on his wife just like that?" he sneered skeptically. Seamus bit his lip to stop from laughing at the irony of Draco's comment.

"No, Harry has some morals," he said. "But I've got a way to get him for my own."

Draco couldn't believe the audacity of the Irishman. He had no scruples when it came to stealing someone's husband. He could almost be a Slytherin.

Draco didn't respond to the last statement made. His mind was too busy with thoughts of wanting to kill the sandy-blond. Potter was his to do what he wanted with, not some stupid half-blood wizard too stupid to tie his shoelaces in the morning.

It enraged him that Seamus thought he could get Harry when he was clearly not available to him. He had Harry under his control. He wasn't about to let Seamus swoop in underneath him and steal his toy, ruining his ploy.

The match soon ended and the team reconvened on the pitch.

"As you all know," Wood said. "Next week is Christmas week; therefore, you get it off from practice. Tomorrow is the last practice before your week-long vacation starts. I expect you all to be just as good when you come back. Don't party too hard; you need to be in good condition to resume practicing."

The team perked up at the mention of vacation. Usually they got one week off at Christmas, a few weeks in the summer and just the major holidays off. Harry almost grimaced at the thought of it. What it meant was a week spent at home with Ginny... alone. He was not looking forward to it this year.

Wood ended his talk and sent the team away to change. Harry was turning back when a shout caught his attention. He turned around as saw Seamus walking towards him. Harry smiled, slightly surprised at his presence.

Behind Seamus, stalked Draco looking fairly displeased at the Irishman's actions. Seamus grinned as he came up to Harry.

"Harry, you looked amazing out there!" he exclaimed overzealously.

"Thanks," Harry said. "You came again?"

"Yeah," Seamus said, smiling a seductive smile. "How could I miss seeing you?"

Harry blushed, hating that he couldn't control it. To the side stood Draco, sneering at practically every word Seamus said.

"So, Harry, how's everything going?" Seamus asked interestedly.

"It's going," Harry replied awkwardly, not sure of what to make of the situation.

"Well, that's good," Seamus said happily. "Harry, if you're not busy later, we should get lunch or something. It would be great to catch up."

Draco's eyes narrowed at the obvious come-on. Harry looked slightly flustered and Seamus couldn't help but think he played the part of blushing virgin perfectly.

"I...um... sure," he said finally. Seamus grinned again and leaned on close to Harry.

"You're doing great," he whispered into his ear. Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him at those words. He'd been worried about how he was acting, if it would really work to get back at Draco.

Seamus started to pull back but, on second thought, planted a kiss on Harry's cheek. Harry blushed bright red again as Seamus moved away.

"I'll send you an owl, Harry," Seamus said before waving and walking away. Harry didn't move from where he stood. When he finally did turn around, he saw that Draco was gone.

He walked back to the changing rooms wondering if Seamus had been right. Malfoy didn't seem all that affected by his actions.

After Harry had showered and changed, he walked out of the changing rooms. He rounded a corner and was confronted with the sight of Michael pushed up against a tree and being kissed feverishly by Draco.

Michael made a noise of distress when he saw Harry. Draco broke the kiss and looked around to Harry.

"Do you mind?" he snarled. Harry's eyes were wide in shock as he watched Draco turn back to Michael and in a pop they disappeared.

Harry saw red as he stalked away from the pitch. Seeing Draco with Michael was just infuriating.

Harry Apparated home, still angry. He slammed the door as he entered his apartment, momentarily forgetting that Ginny might be home. He grumbled to himself as he tried to take off his coat. It got stuck on his arm and angrily flung it to the floor.

Ginny appeared in the door to the kitchen, watching his struggle with the coat. He finally managed to pull it off and shoved it unceremoniously on the rack. He huffed rather loudly and turned around.

He nearly jumped when he saw her standing in the doorway. He willed his heart to calm down as he went over to the couch and sat down on it.

Ginny raised an interested eyebrow and moved away from the kitchen and into the living room.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"No," Harry snapped.

"Are you sure?" she asked, obviously not believing him.

"Yes, I'm sure," he replied scathingly.

"Doesn't seem like it," she said, her tone becoming accusatory.

"Well, maybe you don't need to know everything that's going on," Harry said forcefully. "Maybe some things are my own problem and I will deal with them."

"_Maybe_ I can help you with it," Ginny said, her almond eyes narrowed in anger but she seemed to be holding it back for the moment.

"You really can't," Harry said darkly.

"If you'd just let me _try_," she said angrily.

"I don't want to let you try!" Harry exclaimed. "Okay?! This is my problem and I will deal with it!"

"What _is_ the problem?!"

"I'm not telling you; it doesn't concern you," Harry practically snarled back. He wasn't about to tell her what the problem was. That would ruin everything.

"Harry, whatever concerns you concerns me," she said, the fire growing behind her eyes.

"No, it doesn't," he said. "There are some things that you just can't be involved with."

"Like what?" she asked dangerously.

"Nothing, Ginny, nothing," he said angrily, trying to control his temper. It wasn't quite working though. With the combined pressure of Ginny, his and Seamus' plot, Draco going off with Michael all the time and the constant inner battle between all that was going on, he found it difficult to stay calm sometimes.

"Harry, I don't know what you are hiding from me, but I can guarantee that is not in your best interest to keep it a secret," she growled. Harry scoffed as he thought of what it was he was concealing.

"How do you even know that's what's going on?" he asked, giving her a challenging look. Her eyebrows furrowed and Harry knew she wasn't sure. He felt a surge of triumph as she halted in her argument.

"It doesn't matter, Harry," she said finally. "You should be able to share things with me."

"Like you're sharing things with me?" Harry replied automatically.

"What?" she asked, caught off-guard. It was then that Harry realized what he had said.

"I don't know where that came from," he lied swiftly.

Ginny looked shaken but recovered soon after. "Whatever, Harry. It doesn't matter. I just know you're not telling me everything."

"And I always have to? I don't remember that being in the vows," he said scathingly.

"Harry, you have to trust that I'll be understanding!" Ginny yelled.

"Why should I trust you if you don't even trust me?!"

Ginny was breathing heavily from all the shouting matched with the emotion from the fight. She glared at Harry who refused to back down and stood his ground.

"I trust you, Harry!"

"Sure doesn't seem like it!" he retorted.

"Maybe if you gave me more reason to, I would!"

"I don't need to give you reasons!" he exclaimed. "You should just trust me on your own!"

Harry glared at Ginny, waiting for her to respond. When none was forthcoming, he turned and stalked away from her. He slammed the door shut to the bed room, growling to himself. She just enraged him! She couldn't even trust him, and he wasn't the one who had done anything wrong in the first place!

He walked over to the bed and sat down on it heavily. He was disgusted at the thought that he had ever loved her. What had he seen in her? He shook his head when he was unable to answer these questions. He sighed as he calmed down slightly. He wondered what the consequences of this fight would be.

He only hoped they wouldn't be too vicious on her part. He had almost let slip what he knew once. Who knew what would happen if he actually did it for real next time...

_

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A/N: ... are we excited for Christmas? It's the most wonderful time of the year! According to the song... Anywho, since apparently I'm an insomniac, or really I just don't want to go to sleep, I'm posting this early! So I expect some pretty reviews when I wake up tomorrow ;) Oh, and I forgot to say, last week it snowed! in Arizona! Amazing, omg, it was awesome. Ahem... please review!_


	25. Christmas: The Party

**Chapter Twenty-five: Christmas: The Party**

The first week of Harry's vacation time passed slowly. He tried to avoid Ginny as much as humanly possible. He got up earlier than her and left to go flying. He always went to the Quidditch pitch. It was the only place where he knew he would be safe from her coming to find him.

It had always been kind of an unspoken agreement that when Harry was at the pitch, no one was to come and find him. He spent most of the mornings of his vacation soaring over the snow covered fields below him.

It only served to remind him that he would probably never be able to live in a place like that, increasing his dislike of Ginny.

Ever since their fight, tensions had been running high. The fight wasn't directly mentioned but Harry could feel it whenever he walked into a room and she was there.

He was still angry about the fight himself. He still couldn't figure out for the life of him why she was so bent on distrusting him, especially when she was the one that had committed treachery first. He didn't understand why she distrusted him when it ought to be the other way around!

Two days before Christmas, Harry came back to the apartment to find Ginny sitting in the living room watching T.V. He knocked the snow off his boots and set them down near the door. He shrugged off his heavy coat and hung it up as well.

He started to walk into the kitchen to get something warm to drink when a voice stopped him.

"Harry," Ginny said calmly. Harry stopped mid-step. He told himself not to become upset and slowly turned around.

"Yes?" he replied, willing himself to keep hold of his temper that always seemed to much more likely to fly off the handle these days. She hadn't done anything yet. Not yet.

"The Ministry party is on Friday," she said, not looking at him. He could tell she was still angry with him. "We are going, right?"

"Of course," Harry said sardonically, "wouldn't want to disappoint the Minister, now, would we?"

She didn't respond for a moment and Harry knew she was holding her tongue. She had always seemed to like the Minister for god knows what reason.

"Good, I suggest you wear that Muggle suit you got with the green shirt underneath," she said in a flat tone. It was obvious she was trying to hold her temper.

"I'll do that," he said. He turned around then and went back into the kitchen. He stood at the counter and used his wand to boil some water. He made himself a cup of Muggle hot chocolate with the big marshmallows.

Ginny had never cared for the drink. She said it was childish and he shouldn't be drinking it as it had too much sugar. Right now, though, he really didn't care what she thought. As Harry sipped his cocoa, his mind wandered again to the party and he groaned at the thought.

He hated going to them but it was seemingly required of him. He sighed and got up off the stool. He wandered into the bedroom and opened the closet to look at the suit Ginny had mentioned. He fingered the soft material and sighed. He would much rather spend the evening flying or at home by himself with a book and a nice fire in the fireplace.

Unfortunately, neither option was available. He sighed again and shut the wardrobe. He lay down on his back on the bed, staring at the dark ceiling, wondering why on Earth he had to be the one to destroy Voldemort and therefore be forever forced to attend trivial, boring Ministry parties.

OoOoO

Christmas morning arrived, the bright grey sky outside the window shown into the semi-dark living room. Harry and Ginny opened their presents in relative silence.

Harry received the obligatory gift from the Dursley's, sweets from Ron, the usual book from Hermione, gifts from Hagrid and Mrs. Weasely. Not to forget the twins also, sending him a box of new products from their store, and, of course, a new drawing from Dobby. From Ginny he received a new jacket.

He thanked her for it and slipped it on for a moment. It was comfortable, made of Dragon's hide. He fingered the collar for a second before taking it off and placing it carefully back in the box.

They spent the rest of the morning relaxing in the glow of Christmas. Harry ate some of the sweets Ron had sent while Ginny eyed them disapprovingly. Around four in the afternoon, Ginny disappeared into the bathroom to get ready for the party.

Harry never understood why she needed so much time to get ready for something as simple as this. Two hours later, Harry went to get dressed. He changed into a pair of black slacks paired with a black jacket that hung on his body, open in the front. Underneath it he wore the emerald green shirt Ginny had suggested.

He took a little gel and ran it through his hair, hoping to make it look a little less messy. It kind of worked for about a second until it sprung back into place. Harry just shrugged and gave up.

He went out into the living room to wait for Ginny. He grew impatient, checking the clock every five seconds. He didn't want to go, but he also wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

At ten till seven, Ginny emerged from the bedroom. She was wearing a turquoise party-type dress. It was cut to just below her knees and flared out a bit at the bottom, accenting her shapely figure. The top was made to look like a corset. The whole dress appeared to be made out of silk.

Her hair had been braided then twisted back into an elegant knot. Her make-up was perfect as she walked out to Harry.

"You look nice," he said politely.

"As do you," she replied. Together they walked out of the building, each receiving compliments from the doorman. They walked around the corner of the building to the deserted alley and Apparated to the party.

The Christmas party was always held in a special ballroom located at a hotel on the outskirts of London. Harry and Ginny arrived and walked in together.

The room was decorated in silver, gold, red, and green. Tiny faeries flew overhead, casting twinkling light on the guests. There were several tables off to the side of the room including one piled high with food. In the corner was the traditional bar.

Harry was about to make for the bar when the Minister came upon them.

"Harry! Mrs. Potter," he greeted them ecstatically. "So glad you came. Now it's really a party!"

Harry nodded vaguely, wishing he could just go get a drink. He could see Ron already over there.

Ginny smiled graciously at the Minister when Harry gave no proper response. "We're so glad to be here, Minister," she said. "We just love the Christmas party, always the highlight of the year!"

The Minister was pleased to find such an eager participant and Harry was able to slip away from them. He made his way over to the bar and ordered a drink.

"Hey, mate," Ron greeted him, stirring his drink slowly. "You just get here?"

"Yeah," Harry sighed, reaching for his drink. "It's going to be a long night."

"I'll drink to that," Ron said, holding out his glass.

Harry smiled and clinked the glasses together then took a drink. When he lowered it, he cast a glance around the entire room. Many important couples were present including a few members of the old Order. Harry had no desire to talk to them and relive the story of how he killed Voldemort for the millionth time.

He saw that Ginny had moved from the Minister and was now chatting happily with some young man about Harry's age. She was laughing a bit over-dramatically and Harry frowned. They had only been there ten minutes and already she was flirting with someone new.

He continued his way around the room, taking in the decorations and the many people present.

"Hey, look," Ron said, nodding in the direction of the door. "Malfoy's here."

Harry's head snapped in that direction. Sure enough, there was Draco, looking ravishing in tight blue slacks and another of his trademark button down shirts, this one white with light blue stripes.

"He must have brought Pansy as his date," Harry commented as she came in through the door with him. She looked very elegant in a long, dark blue, silk dress that matched Draco very well. She held herself proudly as they walked into the room.

Ron's gaze snapped to Pansy when Harry mentioned her name. He watched as she walked in on Draco's arm. He grabbed a second drink and downed it readily. Harry didn't say anything, his attention too focused on Draco.

Draco and Pansy stopped to talk to the Minister for a few moments, making the necessary pleasantries. After the Minister left, Draco whispered something to Pansy and she nodded. She let go of his arm and drifted off in the opposite direction to talk to some people she knew.

Harry wrenched his gaze away from Draco, forcing himself to look away. He knew it would not be good if he was found out, especially here of all places. He turned back to Ron, who was downing his third drink.

"Ron, you may want to pace yourself," he warned him.

"Huh?" Ron asked distractedly. "Oh, yeah."

He said this but didn't set down the drink. Harry rolled his eyes, deciding he wouldn't be responsible for his friend that night. Harry ordered another drink and set in to watch the evening pass.

Throughout the evening he watched as Ginny was approached by many different young men. She would always entertain them in some way and Harry would watch as she laughed and giggled at their many compliments.

He watched as Ron drank more and more, becoming slightly drunk after his fourth drink. Harry wondered if he should bother to stop him or just wait to see the fireworks that were sure to come.

Draco passed by him several times but never spoke to him. It was starting to become a bit unnerving to him. After a while, Seamus showed up at the party with the same dark-haired man Harry had seen at his house a month before.

"Harry," he said happily as he came over to him. "You remember Shawn."

"How could I forget," Harry said, smiling at the shy brunette.

"Where's Ginny?" Seamus asked. Harry nodded to where she was standing surrounded by at least five men. Seamus frowned but didn't say anything because Ron was standing right there, not that he would have noticed anyway. He was fairly sloshed by that point.

After a few more minutes of conversation, Seamus dragged Shawn off to dance with him. Harry smiled as he watched them go, wondering if Draco had seen them talking and maybe it had helped in his plan.

A few minutes later, Hermione and Blaise arrived. She looked very pretty in a hot pink cocktail dress alongside Blaise dressed in a black Italian suit. She smiled warmly at Harry when she saw him and pulled Blaise over.

"Harry, how are you?" she asked. She looked around him and noticed Ron behind him looking a little unfocused. "Is Ron okay?"

"He's just had a bit to drink," Harry replied. "I'm doing as well as can be expected at one of these things."

Hermione gave him a sympathetic look while Blaise just looked bored. "Has it been any different?"

"Does it look like it?" he asked, indicating Ginny to her. Hermione frowned as she saw the many men surrounding her. She sighed and turned back to Harry, who had ordered a third drink and was in the process of drinking it.

"I'm sorry, Harry. But you never know, it might get better."

"Yeah, maybe," he muttered. Hermione gave him a hug then and he felt a tiny bit better. She smiled encouragingly at him before going off with Blaise to talk to other people they knew.

Harry sighed and leaned back against the wall of the ball room. Beside him, Ron tried to stand up straight but was having a little bit of trouble.

"H-Harry?" he said.

"Yeah, Ron?" Harry sighed.

"Can you gemme another drink?" he asked, slurring his words slightly.

"Sure," Harry sighed again. He ordered another drink for Ron without a second thought.

After handing it to him, he looked once again to Ginny. She had barely acknowledged his presence since they had entered the room. He scowled as she laughed again at some stupid joke being told by one of the many men around her.

He decided that he needed some fresh air. He walked around the edge of the circular room, speaking to people as quickly as possible as he went. Finally, he made it to the doors leading outside. He pushed open the glass doors and stepped out onto the overhanging balcony.

The frosty winter air whipped his face and he felt much better. He leaned on the railing of the balcony, staring down at the city twelve stories below. Tiny pinpricks of lights showed all the Muggle houses below and beyond.

Behind him in the ball room, he could hear laughter and talking along with soft music and the clinking of glass. He wished he could be one of those carefree people who had nothing to worry about other than what to drink for the eminent hangover the next day.

He heard the balcony door open and close behind him. He didn't look to see who it was. He would know momentarily anyway.

"Potter," came the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. "What are you doing here?"

Harry sighed and pushed himself off the rail, turning around the face the blond. "It's a Ministry party and I'm Harry Potter. What do you think?" he asked sarcastically.

Draco chuckled softly and moved around so that Harry's back was to the wall and the ballroom could be seen to the left through the glass doors. "You misunderstand me," he drawled. "I meant, why are you out here all by yourself while your lovely wife is clearly at a loss for your companionship?"

Harry scowled as he looked to his left through the doors to where Ginny stood, still surrounded by her many suitors. She didn't even seem to have noticed his absence.

"I just felt like being alone," Harry said finally.

Draco snickered again, moving closer to Harry. When he was just inches away, he tilted his head back and smirked at Harry. "You and I both know that's a lie," he drawled. He moved forward and licked Harry's neck sinuously.

Harry's eyes widened as he felt Draco's hot tongue slide over him. "Malfoy," he hissed. "What are you doing?! People are going to see!"

"No, they won't," Draco whispered in Harry's ear, taking the lobe into his mouth and sucking on it lightly. Harry swallowed hard as Draco dipped his tongue inside.

He glanced to his right and saw that no one was looking their way. He still felt it was way too exposed.

"Malfoy," he said pleadingly as Draco began to suck on his neck. "W-we can't. People are going to see, they're--ohhhh."

He moaned softly as Draco moved back to suck on the tanned skin of his neck, nibbling and licking the exposed flesh.

Draco pulled away and looked at Harry. "Do you want to get out of here, Potter?" he asked. Harry could only nod in response. "Good."

Then Draco kissed Harry hard and possessively, and they disappeared in a crack.

Meanwhile, back inside the ball room, Ron had finished his seventh drink. He stumbled over to one of the tables and climbed on top of it clumsily. He managed to get up without falling and he stood up. Everyone turned to look at him. Hermione's eyes widened as she saw how drunk he was.

She rushed over to try to help, as did Pansy. He refused their help down, now swaying dangerously on the top of the table.

"I have'n 'nouncement!" he slurred loudly, sloshing some of the drink he had brought up with him. "Pansy an' I're engaged!"

A collective gasp ran around the room and Pansy buried her face in her hands while Ron swayed happily on the table top.

_

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A/N: It's what you've all been waiting for! Or at least what I've been waiting for. Christmas will come in three parts because all good things come in threes, don't you know ;) Trebling and all that. :) Please review and second part of the wonderful holiday will come next week!_


	26. Christmas: The After Party

**Chapter Twenty-six: Christmas; The After Party**

Harry and Draco reappeared in Draco's bedroom at his country home. Outside, the sky was pitch-black. Inside, the room was lit with tiny flickering candles.

The large four-poster bed stood in the middle of the far wall, draped in green silk. The light flickered over the room, throwing shadows on the walls and casting a low orange glow over everything.

They appeared in the middle of the room, still involved in the fiery kiss from before.

Draco quickly pushed Harry up against one of the walls in the room, pushing his body as close as it could get. Harry moaned as he felt Draco's hard length pressing into his own. He felt all the heat rushing to his groin as Draco rocked his hips into his own. His own hips pushed back, wanting as much contact as humanly possible.

Draco's tongue lashed Harry's mouth fiercely, licking every inch. He bit down on Harry's lower lip causing him to gasp in both pain and pleasure. Their lips slid together urgently, their tongues sliding over each other in their haste for any kind of contact.

Harry's hands were underneath Draco's light button down shirt, skimming over the pale skin and the muscles there. Draco hissed as Harry's fingers dusted over his sensitive nipples. Harry smiled for a second into the kiss at the reaction he was receiving. His hand slid over Draco's chest, feeling the heat that was already present from their actions.

Draco's hands tore at Harry's jacket, pushing it off his shoulders as he continued to kiss him fervidly. Harry shrugged the jacket off, only dropping his hands from under Draco's shirt for a second. Draco's hands went to Harry's neck but traveled upward from there to tangle in his messy dark tresses. Harry moaned softly when Draco tugged lightly on his hair.

The sound vibrated through Draco, sending shock waves all through his body. He tried to move closer but he was already flush against the raven-haired boy's body. Instead, he ground his hardened cock into the other boy's erection, eliciting a delicious groan from him. Draco was achingly hard and only wanted to be inside Harry.

He finally broke the kiss and licked a path down Harry's jaw, coming to suck on his neck, drawing the blood to the surface of the skin. He licked and bit at the tanned skin ravenously.

"Fuck," Harry cursed quietly, breathing hard.

Draco nibbled at Harry's neck, leaving red marks all over. He kissed Harry's throat, loving how Harry moaned at his every touch. He nipped at his jaw line, moving around to suck on his ear lobe.

Draco's hands pushed under Harry's green shirt, having already un-tucked it from his slacks. They traveled up his body and over his chest, skimming against Harry's sensitive skin. Harry gasped as Draco's fingers skirted over his skin, running over his chest.

His head was thrown to the side as Draco continued to feast on his neck. He groaned from the friction Draco was creating with his pelvis as he rolled it back and forth, occasionally grinding it into Harry.

"Oh god," Harry panted, his eyes shut tightly. There were no rational thoughts in his head at the moment; only the thought that he hadn't done anything this sexual for months.

Draco's cock jumped when Harry spoke and he increased the speed of his motions. He was unbearably hard but not ready to do anything about it yet.

His fingers slowly began to undo the buttons of Harry's shirt. Harry groaned impatiently as Draco moved so slowly. He got the last button undone and pushed the shirt off Harry's shoulders. Harry helped him by practically tearing the shirt off.

Draco admired Harry's body for a moment. His stomach was tight and muscled from Quidditch practice. His golden chest was heaving under his heavy breath. Draco kissed Harry on his swollen red lips softly before pushing him forcefully against the wall once more.

Harry stood panting against the wall as Draco kissed down his chest, stopping momentarily to tease his nipples with his tongue. He stared down at Draco, hardly daring to believe what was happening. His head rolled back when Draco scraped his teeth over his chest, following it up with his soothing tongue, swirling over his skin.

Draco swirled his tongue around the dusty colored nipple, biting down slightly, gaining a rewarding gasp from Harry. Harry bit his lip as Draco pulled softly on the erect nipple.

"M-Malfoy," he panted, eyes closed. Draco grinned an evil grin as he glanced up at Harry. He continued moving south, licking and nibbling the panting body.

When he reached the slacks, he ran his hands underneath them teasingly. He unbuttoned them at an agonizingly slow rate. Finally, he pushed them down to the floor. Harry's throbbing erection was released from its confinements and sprung forward, tenting in his boxers.

Next went the boxers, joining the pants around his feet. Harry kicked them off hastily, not caring where they went.

He looked down at Draco, his eyes clouded over in lust. Fuck, if he didn't want Draco right then.

Draco raised an eyebrow and smirked at him. He dropped to his knees in a much more graceful fashion than Harry had ever seen anyone do. Leaning in slowly, he glanced up at Harry with a purely seductive glance on his face. He merely smirked at Harry's reaction, which was something akin to unadulterated lust and surprise. He ran his hand up Harry's cock, feeling Harry shudder under his touch. Removing his hand, he leaned in closer and licked at the head of Harry's leaking erection. Harry moaned loudly, throwing his head back. Draco moved his tongue over the pulsing member, running over the entire length, before taking Harry almost entirely in his mouth.

Harry gasped at the sensation, his eyes shut tightly as pleasure exploded within him. He'd had blowjobs before but nothing compared to what he was feeling. Draco bobbed back and forth, licking and tasting all that was Harry. His tongue swirled over the throbbing member. The heat of his mouth was nearly enough to make Harry cum right then.

Harry's breathing became heavier and heavier as Draco brought him closer to completion. He cried out as he came hard in Draco's mouth. He felt his body shaking as he came, his hips thrusting upward uncontrollably. His eyes were closed and he felt Draco licking up the thick liquid like a cat does cream.

Draco kissed his way back up Harry's body, nipping at the tight skin on his stomach. When he reached Harry's lips, he kissed him hard.

Harry responded immediately, tongue coming up to meet Draco's eagerly. He tasted himself on Draco's tongue and didn't even stop to think. Teeth clashed and their tongues entwined in a seductive dance. Harry groaned softly as his mouth was plundered by Draco's tongue.

Draco pulled away slowly, smirking at Harry. He grabbed his wrist and led him over to the bed, pushing him down on the soft mattress, and crawling onto the bed with him, keeping his eyes on him the entire time.

Harry scooted around so that he was laying the right way on the bed. Draco crawled cat-like over him, covering his body. He looked down at Harry, a possessive gleam in his eyes.

He leaned down and kissed Harry forcefully. Harry arched into Draco as he kissed him, licking and sucking the breath out of him. His hands flew to Draco's sides, once again skimming underneath the nice button down shirt.

Draco groaned into Harry's mouth when he did this. Harry's touch was electric, sending shock waves through his body. He pulled away momentarily to take off the shirt.

Harry watched, enthralled, as it was removed and Draco sat on top of him, bare-chested. His pale skin was beautiful in the low flickering light of the candles. Harry's eyes scanned over the sculpted chest and muscles. They weren't incredibly defined, but just enough that he didn't look like he was too skinny.

"I know I'm gorgeous, Potter," Draco drawled, smirking, "there's no need to stare."

To his surprise, Harry gave him a small smile and reached up to pull him back to his lips. He pulled Draco down onto him, feeling his erection rub against his as Draco shifted. Harry gave a low groan at the friction and thrust his hips upward, wanting more.

Draco was struggling to keep hold of his conscious as Harry rubbed against him so seductively. He was pretty sure Harry didn't know what he was doing, but it was driving Draco crazy, and his cock was certainly ready.

Draco pulled out of the kiss, panting slightly, and reached down to his trousers. He hastily undid them and took them off, tossing them to the side.

Harry's eyes were once again drawn to Draco's body, skimming down his legs and up to the boxers that were hiding his obviously hard cock from view.

Draco kissed Harry again, a slow and languid kiss. Harry moaned readily as Draco thrust his tongue slowly into the hot caverns of his mouth. He nibbled on Harry's lower lip, drawing a low moan from the raven-haired boy. Then Draco pulled away, once again moving to Harry's neck, sucking on the juncture between neck and shoulder.

Harry vaguely thought that there would be marks the next day but his brain was far too distracted to really take notice. He tilted his head back as Draco nibbled on the skin of his neck, slowly moving to his shoulder. Draco bit down on Harry's shoulder lightly, and Harry hissed at the pain and pleasure.

Harry's fingers were clutching Draco's back. His touch ran through Draco's body; jolts of pleasure surging through his body as Harry dragged his fingernails over the pale skin.

"Oh, Potter, fuck," Draco mumbled against the soft skin of Harry's neck.

Harry moved his head forward and kissed Draco's neck softly. He nipped at it softly then soothed it with his tongue. He abandoned it quickly as Draco bit his neck. He threw his head back with a soft groan. His hips moved on their own accord, plunging upward into Draco's erection and shooting a wave of heat over his body.

Draco bit his lip to stop the gasp as he felt Harry's hips connect with his. It took him a second to get his body under control, no matter how fruitless the activity seemed at this point. When he did, he moved from Harry's neck to kiss him slowly. The kiss was long and drawn out, leaving them both gasping for air at the end. Finally, he pulled away, his eyes still closed, and his lips barely touching Harry's.

"Do want to do this?" he whispered, their lips touching slightly. He could feel Harry's hot breath on his lips.

"Yes," Harry gasped. He shifted his body, desperately needing release for his aching cock that was brushing so casually against Draco's. He pushed his head forward, catching Draco off guard, and kissing him passionately.

Draco tore his lips from Harry's harshly, reaching down to remove his boxers and throw them to the side. He looked up at Harry, his silver eyes darkening to a molten color in his lust. He swooped down and captured Harry's lips and a hard, possessive kiss, then grabbed his wand. He was about to perform a spell when he stopped.

"How long has it been, Potter?" he asked.

"Um," Harry said, his brain not exactly functioning at its best. "Five months I think."

Draco's eyes widened at his answer. He'd had no idea things were that bad between him and the Weaselette. No wonder he was so eager. Draco pushed the thought away for the moment. He didn't want to be thinking about the Weaselette with what he was about to do.

"This is probably going to hurt," Draco warned him. Harry nodded, biting his lip. Draco lifted Harry's legs, positioning them over his shoulders. He raised his wand and performed a basic lubricant spell.

He heard a sharp intake of breath from Harry as he inserted one finger inside him. He wiggled the finger around, stretching Harry carefully. Harry's eyes were squeezed shut as his finger moved inside his body.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked, watching him closely.

Harry opened his eyes and took a breath. "Yeah," he breathed.

Draco nodded and slipped in another finger, threading both in and out of Harry's body slowly, getting Harry used to the feeling. Harry squirmed a bit at this second intrusion.

Draco moved the fingers a bit, stretching him and preparing him. He heard Harry gasp as he thrust in the fingers lightly. He knew he had hit the right spot when Harry gave a surprised squeak. When he thought Harry was ready, he removed the fingers.

OoOoO

Harry grabbed Draco's hips, pulling them down with every thrust, their hips slamming together. He felt the heat sear though his body, and he let out a strangled cry. "Fuck, Draco!"

Draco leaned down and kissed him hard to silence him. He pushed his tongue into Harry's mouth, biting his lower lip and pulling on the plump flesh. He felt Harry's tongue rising to his own, sliding against it, hot and wet. Their teeth clashed as the kiss became fevered.

Harry reached up and pulled Draco's head further into the kiss, holding him there as they kissed passionately.

Harry broke the kiss when he cried out suddenly. Draco had brushed once again against his sweet spot. His hands scrambled for something to hold on, barely able to control himself.

He shoved his body upward to meet Draco's, enjoying the strangled cry that came from Draco when it happened. Draco grabbed Harry's hips, slamming them upward with every thrust, increasing the pleasure ten-fold.

Draco pushed more forcefully into the raven-haired boy, unable to take it any longer.

"Fuck, Draco, faster!" Harry exclaimed, not even registering the use of Draco's first name. Draco didn't notice either as he moved faster within Harry.

Draco felt the overwhelming need for release as he thrust one more time into Harry. He felt the climax explode within himself, washing over his body as he came hard, harder than he'd ever come before, inside the raven-haired man.

Harry's head was thrown back as his climax shot up within him, overloading all his senses. He came hard, crying out loudly. It felt like thousands of flames were licking his body, but not burning him. He wouldn't have been able to describe the feeling if he'd tried. His breathing was ragged as he finally came down from his high.

He felt Draco shudder and his arms collapse. He fell onto the bed on top of Harry. After a second, he rolled off to the side, pulling out of Harry carefully.

Harry winced as the now soft cock was removed from his sore body. Draco didn't speak for a moment, trying to gain back his breath. Harry smiled goofily and rolled over onto his side to look at the panting blond.

He nuzzled into his neck softly and kissed the tender area. "That was amazing," he murmured sleepily. Draco didn't respond. Harry sighed happily and, before he knew it, he was asleep on the soft mattress.

Draco moved away to look at him. His eyes took in the form of the sleeping man. His expression was puzzled as he stared at the beautiful naked body splayed on the bed.

He was too tired to think about what had just happened as he fell into a deep sleep next to Harry. In the back of his mind before he drifted off, a small voice screamed at him.

_What the fuck have you done?!_

_

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A/N: Ok, so you may have noticed that I cut out a part in the middle, but that's only to keep with the rules of this site. If you'd really like to read it, there are links to my other archives on my author page. Or if you can't get to those, send me a message with your email and I will send you the chap. My apologies, but I don't want to get kicked off the site... Anyway, please review!_


	27. Christmas: One Helluva Morning After

**Chapter Twenty-seven: Christmas- One Helluva Morning After**

_Maybe we're a little dumb.  
Yeah, we're just a little drunk,  
But all we need is some ice cream and a hug._

Draco moaned softly and rolled over on the bed; there was a dull pounding in his head. He knew he must have had just a bit too much to drink the night before. He knew he shouldn't have had that third sherry.

As he rolled over, his arm hit something warm next to him. He wondered vaguely if he'd called Michael in his semi-drunken state. He cracked open his eyes and nearly screamed at the sight.

There lay Harry Potter sleeping soundly on the pillow next to him. He snapped his mouth shut, willing himself not to make any alarming sounds. He hastily untangled himself from the sheets and stumbled out of bed.

It was then that he realized that he was naked with dried cum all over his stomach. His eyes widened in absolute shock. He backed away from the bed where Harry was still sleeping peacefully.

_Holy fuck!_ Draco thought, staring at him. He silently thanked God that Harry's still naked body was covered up somewhat. The sheets were pulled halfway up, covering his lower body.

_What the fuck happened last night?!_ He continued to stare at the naked Gryffindor while his brain raced to form some memory of the previous night. He remembered forcing conversation with that idiot of a Minister then seeing Potter over in a corner with the Weasel drinking.

He recalled seeing that idiot of an Irishman talking to Harry, laughing with him. The memory boiled his blood, but Harry hadn't seemed too interested in Seamus. Draco remembered watching the interaction and wandering just what was going on.

He racked his brain to remember past that point. Harry mumbled something in his sleep and turned over as the covers slipped slightly, revealing a tanned and muscular leg. Draco forced himself to look away and stare hard at the floor.

_Okay, okay,_ he told himself, trying to calm down. _I remember Potter looking really good in that suit of his... which is now strewn around this room._

Draco paused as his eyes took in the separate pieces of Harry's and his clothes that were piled on the floor in random places.

_And then Pansy left me to do something... Then Potter went outside and I..._

::FLASH::  
_  
Sweaty skin gliding against each other, hot breath in his ear, a tongue sliding sinuously up his neck, a hand in his hair, tugging lightly. A low moan in the candle lit room. A plea, an answer. His name.  
_  
::FLASH::

Draco swallowed the lump that had arisen in his throat as the memories had flashed through his mind. He took a shaky breath and looked back at Harry, who was still sprawled haphazardly on the bed, tangled in the silk sheets.

He couldn't believe what he'd done. Blaise was going to kill him! He was going to kill himself! It was never supposed to have gotten this far!

The thought disgusted him and intrigued him at the same time. All the memories of the night before had come back now. He was still shaken up from what he now realized he had done. He also realized that he was quite nude.

Draco decided that he needed to calm down. He left the room quietly, making sure not to wake Harry. He wanted to be as calm as possible when the panic set in. He went from the bedroom to the attached bathroom. Inside was a large room, composed of mainly shiny white tile with small accents of light blue.

In the corner of the room was a large bathtub with several taps, reminiscent of the prefects tub at Hogwarts, though it wasn't set into the ground. Instead, it stood a few feet above the ground like a Muggle hot tub.

In the corner was a shower big enough for three people. The door was see-through but had a curtain that could be pulled around it if wished. Draco turned on the water in the shower and waited a second before stepping in. He let the warm water wash over his body, soothing his nerves. For a moment he tried to force himself not to think about what was in the other room. He was appalled at himself for letting things get this far.

He had to admit, though, that Harry did have a very nice body and last night had been quite amazing. He shook his head sharply as if the thoughts were treachery. It only served to enhance the pounding that was still present there.

He vowed to get a potion as soon as he got out of the shower. He scrubbed his body, trying to get the "essence of Potter", as he thought of it, off himself. When he was finally satisfied with the results, he switched off the water and stepped out.

Draco grabbed a fluffy white towel and wrapped it around his waist. He considered going back to his room to get clothes but that would require seeing Potter again, something he wasn't exactly keen to do. He had seen enough of his gorgeous body last night.

He growled at the thought and stalked out the other side of the bathroom, now entering the hallway. He walked down to the end and went through an opening on the left and down a flight of stairs. It opened up into a cavernous living room.

He went through this room and on to the next one; the dining room. He called for a house-elf to bring him a hangover potion and something to eat. He sat down at the small table underneath the large bay window. The bright yellow sun bounced off the pure white snow and reflected into the room, shining onto the table.

The house-elf returned with a potion, a tray of muffins, and a glass of pumpkin juice. Draco took the potion readily, wincing at the taste. He set it down and drank some of the juice.

He was fairly calm by now. He was at least prepared to face Potter, he thought. He sighed and picked at a muffin, wondering what he was going to do.

Meanwhile, Harry groaned as bright sunlight fell into his eyes. He curled away from it, but realized it was no use. He rolled over and opened his eyes. His first thought was that Ginny must have decorated the bedroom green in celebration for the holidays.

Then he realized that this was not his room. For one, it was far too large. For another, he didn't have a window in his bedroom at home. He sat up suddenly, realizing then that he was stuck in a tangle of silk sheets.

He looked down and gasped. He was naked! He looked around desperately, hoping for a clue as to why he was in a foreign bedroom without any clothes. All he saw were a few burnt-out candles and some bedside tables. The room was decorated tastefully with a settee in the opposite corner and a small table, but other than that, nothing was in the room.

Harry spotted his clothes on the floor. He looked around surreptitiously before unwinding the sheets and sitting up in the bed, making sure to keep himself covered. It wasn't until he made to stand up that he felt a painful throb in his lower body. He pushed himself up with difficulty, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his ass. He moved gingerly around the room, picking up his boxers and sliding them on carefully.

He found his trousers next and put them back on. He slid on his green shirt and hastily did the buttons. He didn't put on his jacket but picked it up from its crumpled state on the floor. He wished he knew where he was.

The previous night was fuzzy. He remembered anger at Ginny and disappointment that Malfoy had been ignoring him. He wondered to himself why his and Seamus' plan hadn't worked better. More importantly, he wished he knew whose house this was!

He crept to one of the doors leading off from the room and opened it. Inside were clothes, clothes upon clothes upon clothes. Harry looked around cautiously, noticing the rather large collection of Muggle outfits, including many button down shirts.

_That's funny,_ Harry thought. _It's just like those shirts that Malfoy wears all the time..._

Harry's mouth dropped along with the jacket he'd been holding. He slammed the closet door shut and leaned against the door in shock. His heart was beating a mile a minute as he realized exactly where he was and exactly what had happened the night before.

"No, no, no, no," Harry whispered fervidly to himself. "No, I can't have slept with Malfoy! I can't have!"

He decided that he needed to get out of there. He couldn't handle this right now. He didn't know where Draco was, so he bent down and picked up his jacket and moved to the second door. It opened into a long hallway.

Harry crept quietly out, feeling like a burglar in a house, trying not to get caught. He noticed that the hall was rather dark with a few other doors leading off in other directions. He could see light near the end so he went that way.

He came down the stairs and into the large living room and looked around cautiously. There was still no sign of Draco. He moved carefully through the room, passing an opening without looking in.

"Going to leave without even saying goodbye?" A voice followed after him and he froze. "Now, that's not very polite. Didn't anyone ever teach you manners, Potter?"

Harry turned around slowly to see Draco leaning against the frame of the opening quite casually. "Malfoy," he squeaked, partly in fear, partly in embarrassment.

Draco smirked at him, willing himself to remain calm. "Aw, Potty, didn't last night mean anything to you?" he asked, pretending to be hurt while deep down something was tugging on his heart.

"Malfoy, last night was a mistake," Harry said haltingly. He really just wanted to get out of there. He couldn't believe he had let it get so out of hand.

Draco pushed himself off the door frame and Harry couldn't help notice that he was only wearing a towel. He strutted forward, swinging his hips slightly. He walked up closely to Harry and ran a finger down his chest. Harry shivered but fought to control his body.

"You didn't seem to think it was mistake when you were begging me to fuck you," Draco said, his eyes glittering. Harry flushed deeply and Draco smirked. He knew in order for his plan to go through, he had to put aside his disgust of the situation and make Harry think he enjoyed it.

"I--it--I was drunk," Harry said finally.

Draco gave a low laugh as he looked at Harry. "You weren't that drunk," he said, his eyes becoming serious. He ran his hands over Harry's chest and around his neck. Harry's eyes were wide and kind of frightened. "Just admit it, Potter. You enjoyed it," he whispered, his thumb caressing Harry's jaw.

Harry swallowed hard, becoming unnerved by Draco's continued closeness and touching. He moved back from Draco and Draco dropped his hands to his sides. Harry's vision was once again drawn to the towel wrapped so loosely around his waist.

"I really don't want to talk about what happened," he muttered.

That caught Draco's attention, he looked at Harry, a malicious smirk forming on his face. He moved closer once again, and Harry eyed him carefully.

"Really?" Draco drawled. "You don't want to hear how I devoured your body, licking every exposed bit of skin? How you moaned so prettily, begging for more? How I pushed you on the bed and you went willingly, tearing off my clothes in your fervor, unable to wait a second longer for me to be inside you, buried in your tight ass, and you loving every single second of i--"

"Stop!" Harry gave a strangled cry.

Draco stopped and glanced down Harry's body, an evil grin now appearing on his face. "I knew you enjoyed it, Potter," he said. "You're hard now. You want it again, don't you?"

Harry wished it wasn't true, but Draco's words had made him so hot and blood was rushing to his rapidly hardening member.

"No," he said, trying to be firm but his body was betraying him.

Draco moved closer, a seductive look on his face. He leaned around into Harry's neck. He bit down lightly on the skin, earning a hiss from the boy. He licked the spot to soothe it then moved away. "Are you lying?" he whispered in Harry's ear.

Harry's brain screamed at him to lie, lie! Don't tell him the truth! He'll just use it against you! Unfortunately, Harry was not exactly thinking clearly at the moment.

"Kind of," Harry said slowly, not wanting to completely give in.

"Kind of?" Draco repeated. He reached down and grabbed Harry's now fully erect cock, a satisfied feeling flowing through him when he heard him squeak. "This says otherwise."

"Shit, Malfoy," Harry cursed, trying to free himself and glaring at the blond.

"What?" Draco asked innocently, allowing Harry to back away once more. He stood back and sighed, a bored look on his face.

"What we... did... last night, we can't do that again!" Harry exclaimed.

"Why not?" Draco asked, pushing him further.

"Because it's too much like cheating!" he said, throwing his hands in the air.

"So?"

"So?" Harry repeated, staring at him. "Don't you have any morals?" Draco simply raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Oh, right."

"Listen, Potter," Draco said, rolling his eyes. "I don't really know why you were so eager to start this, but you can't back out now, unless you're a coward."

Harry's eyes flashed when Draco called him a coward. Draco saw the anger building inside and knew he had hit the right nerve.

"I am not a coward!" Harry said angrily. "This is all Ginny's fault in the first place!" Draco raised an interested eyebrow at that. "I'm not going to back out. Fine, Malfoy, we can keep this up. Or at least, I can, can you?"

"Can I?" Draco repeated, pretending to think. Harry was falling perfectly into the trap he had set. He was willing to go further, which consequentially would make him fall harder in the end.

Harry stood there glaring at Draco, waiting for his response. He was silent for so long that Harry said something. "Malfoy?"

"Yes, I can keep this up," Malfoy said simply.

He moved forward again and Harry backed up. He fell over the arm of a chair and ended up sitting sideways in it with his legs draped over the arm. Draco smirked as he came upon him. Harry struggled slightly, trying to unfold himself from the chair.

Draco put his hands on the arm of the chair on either side of Harry's leg and leaned over him. Harry stopped moving and stared up at him. Draco gave him a soft smirk and leaned in closer.

His lips brushed over Harry's as he spoke. "The question is, what's to keep up?" He pressed his palm lightly into Harry's still hard member. Harry groaned softly at the touch. Draco kissed him lightly before moving away. Harry then pushed himself awkwardly out of the chair and onto his feet.

He wasn't sure what to do now. Draco didn't seem interested in continuing the conversation. He was standing and idly examining his nails while Harry stood in front of him. Draco turned to leave but paused before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Oh, and, Potter," he said casually, "be sure not to tell the wife about this."

He then vanished into the other room while Harry stood glued to the floor. A wave of dread washed over him as he realized that Ginny was at home somewhere, waiting to AK him upon his return. Suddenly, the thought of staying here with Draco seemed much more appealing.

Just as he thought that, a voice carried in from the other room. "You better be off, Potter, the little wife will be waiting."

Harry turned stiffly and walked over to a door that looked like the front door. He opened it haltingly and stepped outside into the blinding sun reflecting off the snow. He tugged on his jacket as he shivered in the cold. He walked to the end of the path leading to the house and, with a last look at the large white house, Apparated away to his doom.

Inside, Draco sat down with a sigh at the table. He wished he knew why he had let it escalate to this level. He folded his arms on the table and put his head down on them.

He needed to talk to someone about all this, to help him figure out what on Earth he had been thinking! He sighed again and groaned at the thought of what Blaise would say when he told him of this incident.

_"I told you not to sleep with him! What are you going to do now?! This could ruin everything; you know that, right, Draco?"_

Draco waved away Blaise's voice and lifted his face. He grabbed a muffin off the plate and tore at it, leaving little pieces all over the table. He would figure this out in time, and he might as well enjoy himself along the way.

OoOoO

Harry appeared in the alleyway next to his building. He snuck inside and bypassed everyone in the front. He took the stairs up, trying to prepare himself. Once he reached the door to his apartment, he unlocked it carefully.

He was chewing his lip as his nerves took over him. He pushed the door open slowly, grimacing as it squeaked loudly. He went in quietly, hoping against hope that Ginny just might not be home, and attempted to shut the door as carefully as possibly.

When he turned around, Ginny was standing in the opening to the kitchen, her face full of suppressed anger. "Nice of you to drop by," she said, her voice full of cold fury.

Harry turned back to the door and shut it with a snap.

_

* * *

A/N: Alright, so the morning after! And I'd like to clear this up once and for all: When Ron is drunk, he is accurate. He isn't getting his facts mixed up, alright? Alright :) So... please review!_

Oh yeah, lyric is from Bowling for Soup.


	28. Consequences Served

**Chapter Twenty-eight: Consequences Served**

Harry turned slowly from the closed door, unconsciously holding his breath while waiting for the hammer to drop. Ginny stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes blazing with rage.

Harry didn't move from his position by the door. Instead, Ginny began walked towards him slowly, her arms now crossed across her chest. She continued to glare at him as she neared.

He squirmed slightly under her piercing gaze. In some ways, he welcomed a fight and in others he was scared to death of what she might do to him. It wasn't like he could actually tell her where he had gone.

Ginny came to a stop several feet from Harry and stood behind the couch. She unfolded her arms and put one on the back of the couch as she glared at Harry.

"So," she said dangerously. Harry took a breath and said nothing. He wanted to see what she thought before defending himself. "Where were you?"

Harry paused. Instead of answering her, he took off his jacket slowly and hung it carefully on the hook by the door. He could feel her eyes watching his every movement. When he turned back to her, she was still glaring at him with as much anger as she could muster.

"What do you mean?" he replied calmly, deciding he really didn't care how much angrier she got. He was sick of looking at her and knowing her little secret. Well, now he had a secret of his own to lord over her, in his own mind anyway.

"You know damn well what I mean," she growled. Her eyes burned holes in Harry's head as she stood in the middle of the tiny living room.

Harry shrugged and walked around her, ignoring the look of pure hatred she shot at him. He walked into their bedroom and began changing his clothes.

She followed him, standing at the door, blocking his way out. "Harry," she said in an ice-cold voice. He looked up and said nothing. "You disappeared last night. Where the hell did you go?! And why didn't you come back?!"

Harry sighed as if the conversation was boring. He slipped off the green shirt and switched it for a white tee-shirt. He threw the other shirt in a laundry basket and turned to face her once more.

"What's it to you?" he asked, giving her a dark look.

"What do you mean?!" she exploded, losing what little composure she had left. "You left me alone at a _Ministry_ party, Harry! Everyone was there!"

"It didn't seem like you were lonely," he replied acidly.

Her eyes flashed and she took her hand down from the doorframe. "Maybe not, but at the end of the night, you were gone. What was I supposed to tell people? That I lost my husband?!"

"Oh, so _now_ I'm your husband!" Harry retorted angrily. "It sure didn't seem like it when you were surrounded by every man in the place!"

Ginny glared angrily and let out an angry hiss, much like a disturbed cat. "At least they give me attention."

"Attention?!" Harry exclaimed incredulously. "They practically worship you and you don't do anything to discourage it."

"So what if I don't?" she asked. "At least they're there to take me home at the end of the night."

"What is the big deal?!" Harry yelled. "You can Apparate. It's not like you have to walk home or something!"

"It's the principal, Harry," Ginny snarled, and Harry scoffed.

"Principals, ha! Like you have any principles," he said darkly.

"Well, at least I don't abandon my husband without so much as a word!"

"Yes, you do!" Harry yelled, amazed at her stupidity. He just wanted to strangle something at the moment. "You did last night!"

Ginny was breathing hard from all the yelling and the combined adrenaline from the fight. She glared at Harry, breathing heavily through her nose. "Well, you knew where I was!" she yelled. "And where were you?!"

"It's none of your damn business!" Harry yelled.

"It is too, Harry! How could leave me like that and then not even come home?!"

"I don't know," Harry said sarcastically. "How can you abandon me at the Ministry party _every year_?"

"I do not," she said snidely.

Harry let out an agonized yell. "You do too!"

"This isn't about me, Harry," she said angrily, trying to change the subject back to him. "This is about you. Where the hell did you go?"

"Where I went and what I did is my own business," Harry replied, his green eyes darkened in anger.

"Your business?" Ginny repeated in disgust. "I don't care what the hell you think, but you will tell me right now or I will--"

"Or you'll what?" Harry interrupted her. "Curse me? Hate to break it to you, sweetie, but I didn't defeat Voldemort by waiting around to get cursed, so you might not want to threaten me with that."

Ginny glared at Harry, snarling under her breath. She knew he was right and her threats were empty, but that didn't excuse him for his behavior the night before. "Fine," she said furiously, "I'll find out sooner or later."

"Sure you will," Harry said skeptically. "And while you're at it, why don't you find the meaning of life as well, 'cause I'd sure like to know."

"You can hide whatever you want from me, but I will know," she snarled.

Harry gave her a sarcastic smile then rolled his eyes. "Right," he scoffed, "because you're the master at hiding things."

Ginny's eyes burned with fire as Harry pushed past her and back into the living room. She turned around and stared at him indignantly. "I don't know what has been going on with you lately," she said, still glaring at him, "but you can rest assured it stops here."

"Oh really?" Harry replied sarcastically. "How can you be so sure?"

"I have my ways," she growled.

Harry gave a derisive laugh for a moment before stopping abruptly. "Your ways," he mocked. "Your _ways_ don't exactly work in case you hadn't noticed."

"They work better than you think," she said forcefully. Harry just scoffed and rolled his eyes. He turned around and headed for the door. "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere that's not here," he said simply before pulling open the door and leaving her standing in the living room, lost for words.

OoOoO

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. Pansy jerked her head up from where it had been resting on the table. She stood up, smoothing down the front of her black dress. She walked elegantly over to the front door where someone was still knocking.

She opened it and saw Draco standing on the front step; he looked a little disturbed. Pansy ushered him inside and walked over to the couch.

She sat down on it and sighed. Draco followed her quietly, giving her an odd look. When he sat down, he turned to her and opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it.

"I know what you're going to say," she started, and Draco was slightly taken aback.

"What?" he asked.

She sighed again and went on. "You don't think Ron is good enough for me. You think it's a mistake to get married. Well, I don't care," she said, giving him a hard look. "He makes me happy and even if he's a little off the wall sometimes, like last night, he is still a wonderful person."

Draco's mouth hung open slightly as he stared at Pansy, trying to process everything she had just told him. "Wait," he said, finally coming to grasp the situation, "you're engaged to the Weasel?!"

"Don't call him that," she chastised. "And you should know, he announced it last night to the _entire_ room."

"Hmm... That must have been after we left," Draco muttered to himself.

Pansy heard though and perked up. "We?" she asked, momentarily forgetting her worries.

"Uh uh," Draco said, shaking his head. "We're going to talk about you first. Since when are you engaged to the Wea--er... Weasley?"

Pansy frowned, pouting that she couldn't get out of the conversation now that she'd started. "Since a couple weeks ago. We didn't tell anyone because we knew how they would react. But last night when I came to the party with you, I think it hurt Ron and he kind of had too much to drink. Needless to say, now pretty much everyone knows."

"But you weren't ev--Oh, wait," Draco said as it dawned on him. "It was him! You were cheating on me with that?!"

"He's not a thing," Pansy replied acidly. "He's a person, a good person. We love each other and we're getting married."

Draco rolled his eyes and scoffed. Pansy scowled at his lack of support.

"So what are you going to tell him when he finds out your ex has been screwing his best friend?" Draco asked.

"Oh, but you haven't..." she trailed off as she looked at Draco. Her eyes widened in realization as it hit her. "Oh my god," she breathed. "You did!"

"Yes, we did," Draco affirmed her suspicions. "What was I thinking, Pansy?"

"Well, I don't know," she said, rolling her eyes. "So what exactly happened at the party that I missed?"

"I think I might have had just a bit too much to drink, Potter too. And I kind of... sort of... brought him back to my place and we..."

Pansy's eyes were wide as he left the sentence open. She knew what had happened. Her mouth curled into an evil smirk as she looked at Draco.

"What?" he asked cautiously.

"How was it?" she asked curiously.

He looked shocked. "What?!" he squeaked. "You don't need to know that!"

"But I want to. Tell me, was it good?" she asked eagerly.

"I am not telling you that!" he exclaimed.

Pansy rolled her eyes and pretended to sulk. "What are you going to do then?" she asked.

"I-- I have to keep going," he said, wishing it wasn't true.

"Why?"

"I can't stop now! Besides, it won't be that bad. I just have to sleep with him. It's not that horrible I guess..."

Pansy laughed slightly and he scowled at her. "Oh, Draco," she sighed. "How far are you willing to take this? Do you really want to hurt Potter this much? You know, he's not that bad of a guy. He did kill You-Know-Who and all that."

Draco was silent for a moment, thinking it all over. Yes, Harry wasn't all bad. He did have some good qualities, his body being one of them. Draco sometimes found himself thinking longingly of the feeling of Harry's body and his emerald green eyes drawing him in.

But then he thought of why he had started this in the first place, to humiliate Potter. He wasn't exactly sure if it was working. Harry didn't exactly seem to like the encounters but he wasn't pushing him away either. And he _had_ agreed to continue shagging.

Draco stared at the floor, trying to come up with an answer. Something deep inside him told him it wasn't a good idea to continue with this, but his Slytherin pride pushed above all the other voices to tell him he couldn't back out now. He had to continue no matter what. He had started it, he better finish it, and he better do it right.

"I don't know," he said finally. "I started off wanting to and I still kind of do, but there's something else."

"What else?" Pansy asked carefully.

"He just seems so sad sometimes," Draco said, referring to Harry. "It's like he's not happy and I can't help feeling something weird when I look at him and he looks so depressed."

Pansy didn't say anything though her brain was going a mile a minute. She saw what Draco didn't though she knew that if she pointed anything out he would adamantly deny any claims and it would do no good. In fact, it might just ruin things.

Instead, she opted to remain silent with her thoughts. She knew he would figure it out eventually with or without her help. Someone else was bound to notice as well.

Draco sat on the couch, lost in thought. Finally he looked up, realizing that Pansy hadn't said anything yet. "What should I do?" he asked.

"Wait," Pansy said. "Are you asking for help?"

"I can do it," he said snidely, scowling.

Pansy just grinned at him. "Of course you can, Draky," she said, using the pet name she knew he despised. "I don't know what you should do. I think that's for you to figure out."

"What am I going to tell Blaise?" he asked more pressingly. That was the real problem at the moment. He just knew what Blaise was going to say.

_"Look what you did now! You're going to ruin it all, Draco! I told you not to, but did you listen? No..."_

Draco scowled as Blaise's voice once again entered his head.

"I think you ought to be more worried about what to do when Granger finds out about all of this. She is going to flay you two alive."

Draco grunted in agreement. He knew Hermione would have a fit if she ever found out. "Well, she doesn't have to know," he said. "I trust Blaise can keep that much a secret at the very least. But what am I going to tell him?! He saw this coming..."

"Really?" Pansy asked. She made a mental note to talk to Blaise soon. He must know more than he let on.

"Yes, really," Draco said grudgingly. "He is going to kill me."

"Maybe," Pansy said, not really listening, more absorbed in her own thoughts.

"Pansy," he said, wanting her attention back.

She looked at him, waiting. "What?"

"What should I do?!"

"I'll tell him," she said suddenly.

Draco looked taken aback. "You would do that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Of course," she replied.

"What's the catch?" he asked.

"No catch. I just want to help you. You do want help, right?"

"I guess..."

"Good," she said, smiling. "Then I'll tell him and you don't have to worry. Well, except about where you're going to get Potter next time."

Draco shuddered and Pansy smirked. "Please, do not talk about next time," he said, grimacing. She chuckled lightly as he continued to look disgusted. She knew he didn't really feel that way but would never show it.

She rose from the couch and he followed suit. Once they reached the door, Draco turned in the doorway, pulling his coat closer around him as snow drifted lightly from the sky.

"I'm going to thank you for doing this, but you better not be up to anything," he said carefully, eyeing her suspiciously.

She gave him warm smile and turned him around, pushing him out the door. "Now why would you think that?" She gave him a mysterious smirk before shutting the door in his face. Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head, walking down the icy walkway. He knew Pansy wouldn't offer to do this for nothing, but at the moment he really didn't care.

Back inside, Pansy walked over to the fireplace. She grabbed a pinch of green powder from a box on the mantle and tossed it into the flickering flames.

"Blaise," she called, "come here, we have much to discuss."

A swirling shape appeared in the fire and Blaise stepped out, wiping soot off his clothes. He looked up at Pansy who was curled up on the couch, looking very content with herself.

"What?" he asked.

"Have a seat," she said, offering the couch. "I think you may need to sit down for this."

* * *

_  
A/N: I'm sorry guys! Stupid ff wasn't letting me update earlier :( So.. here's the new chapter! Please review!_


	29. Feelin' Fine

**Chapter Twenty-nine: Feelin' Fine**

Harry stomped down the street, kicking debris out of his way as he went. He was furious with Ginny. He had come prepared to be berated for leaving her the night before, but he hadn't expected her to be so angry. After all, it was only one night! And how could she expect him to stay after she went off on her own, flirting with everyone in the place?

He was surprised he had never thought of leaving the party early in previous years. Now that he thought about it, it seemed the logical response to her obvious flirtations.

He stared angrily at the ground as he walked along, having no clear idea of where he was headed. He just knew he had to get away from her. He reached the end of the street and looked up, wondering where he was.

Harry had walked to the edge of London where the fields began. To his left was a dead field that, in the summer time, was always filled with tons of yellow flowers. Harry wished it was summer-time then. Maybe by summer all of this would be over, forgotten.

He pulled his jacket tighter around him, wishing he had thought to bring his heavier coat. Unfortunately, he'd been too preoccupied with his anger to think of it when he had stormed out.

He stopped for a moment at the end of the lane then decided to take a right and follow the path to wherever it would lead. As he left the city further and further behind, the amount of snow increased until it was up to his ankles.

He stopped, knowing he had to go somewhere. He couldn't just wander around aimlessly forever. Harry thought for a moment, trying to decide where to go that he could complain about Ginny and not be judged for it. Then it hit him, the only person who would really understand as he did.

In a Pop he was gone. He appeared outside a kind of run-down house in the country. The snow was piled about three feet high on either side of the walkway as Harry came to the front door. He knocked twice and stood back, waiting for an answer.

He heard some stumbling and the sounds of glass breaking on the floor. He eyed the door suspiciously as it was thrown open moments later. Ron stood in the doorway, his hair messy and looking incredibly tired.

"Harry," he mumbled. "Come in."

He stood back and Harry came inside, giving him a strange look. Nothing looked different inside, it was the same semi-messy living room, cluttered with papers from Ron's job.

Harry came in and Ron passed him, going into the kitchen. Harry followed, wondering what was wrong with him. Ron sat down at the table that had an empty potion vile on it along with a cup of hot tea.

"I see you enjoyed yourself last night," Harry commented.

"Yeah, sure," Ron mumbled sarcastically. He sighed and looked up at Harry through his heavily-lidded eyes. "Listen, Harry," he said apprehensively. "I know what you're probably thinking and I just have to say that she makes me happy. She's a great woman and even though they were married, she's not like you think."

"Uh... who?" Harry asked, confused.

Ron gave him a questioning look. "Pansy."

"Oh... what about Pansy?" he asked.

Ron cocked his head to the side and furrowed his eyebrows. Harry just gave him a confused look.

"We're engaged," Ron said as though it was obvious.

"Really?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Ron said, still looking at him carefully. "Didn't you hear last night?"

"Last night..." Harry said, thinking of what he had done last night.

"Yeah, I kind of drank too much and announced it to everyone. I can't believe I did that. It was supposed to be a secret, but I guess it's not anymore."

"Oh, right," Harry said slowly.

"Do you seriously not remember?" Ron asked.

"Well, I kind of had too much to drink too," he said.

"Oh," Ron nodded in understanding. "Yeah, that would do it. But you're not mad?"

"Mad?" Harry repeated. His mind flitted to Draco and what he was doing with him that was so secretive. He couldn't really blame Ron for doing the same with Pansy. He would be a bit of a hypocrite to get mad at Ron for something like this. "No, I'm not mad. Pansy's a nice person. She was never a Death Eater. Good for you, Ron."

Ron looked incredibly relieved that Harry approved. He cheered up significantly from that point on. "So what brings you here, Harry?" he asked.

"Ginny," he replied shortly.

Ron gave him a sympathetic look. "What happened this time?"

"Last night, I kind of..." Harry trailed away, trying to figure out what he should tell Ron. "I kind of disappeared without telling anyone. I don't really remember what I did, but I didn't come home until this morning, and she got really mad."

"Oh," Ron said, nodding in understanding. "So you got in another fight?"

"Kind of, she accused me of being a bad husband for leaving her, though, I don't see the problem. She can Apparate. It shouldn't be that big of a deal if I leave. She can take care of herself."

"Yeah, but you know how she gets," Ron said with the knowledge of a brother. "She blows anything out of proportion."

"Yeah, she did that too; I just wish she would trust me. It's not like I've done anything," _'to her knowledge,'_ he added silently.

"Well, she's always kind of been like this. She wants everything her way. She's kind of controlling."

"I should have known that," Harry muttered, thinking of Mrs. Weasley though she wasn't half as bad as Ginny.

Ron simply shrugged in agreement at his statement. Personally, Ron wasn't sure why Harry had married Ginny in the first place. Yes, he loved his sister, but the relationship had never been quite right, especially lately. Ron wasn't quite sure of the reason why they had started fighting all of a sudden those few months ago. He thought it must have something to do with Ginny cheating on him, but Harry didn't know about that, right?

Ron knew the marriage was going down-hill. Even with his poor reasoning skills and distracted nature, he could see the direction it had taken. He just wanted his best-friend to be happy, and he was obviously not happy with Ginny. He wouldn't blame him if they decided to get a divorce, in fact, he might support it. He didn't like watching them together, always snipping at each other and picking fights. It might be best for both if they just split up.

Secretly, Ron had always thought that Harry harbored secret feelings for his own sex. He wouldn't dare mention this to Harry because he would, no doubt, freak out. But after Harry's fiasco with Cho fifth year and break-up with Ginny before the war, Ron had been sure he would come back with a boyfriend on his arm, but he didn't. Instead, he came back and married Ginny.

Ron thought that maybe they had married too young. After all, Harry had only been 21 at the time and Ginny 20. Ron was glad he had waited until he was 23 to even think about marriage. He was positive that Pansy was the one for him.

They had started their secret relationship just a year after her marriage with Draco. At first, Ron had been terrified that he would find out and kill him, but Pansy assured that he was safe. They had kept the relationship a secret all throughout the three year marriage. When Pansy had told Ron about her divorce, he had been ecstatic. Finally, they could have a real relationship.

Soon after, Ron had proposed. Pansy accepted without hesitation, glad that he had finally done it. Ron didn't care much about Malfoy anymore. Pansy had managed to convince him that he wasn't such a horrible guy and Ron nearly believed her. Besides the fact that he had been a Death Eater, Draco was very smart and had covertly helped Harry's side, though he hadn't known.

"Well, Harry," Ron said at length. "I wish I could help."

"It's okay," he sighed. "I've got it under control."

"Really?" Ron asked, intrigued. Harry looked up at him sharply as though he hadn't realized what he had just said.

"Uh... yeah. I can handle it," he said quickly, hoping Ron wouldn't push the issue. He stood up from the table, preparing to leave. "Congratulations on Pansy, Ron," he said with a small smile.

Ron got up and followed him to the door. They said good bye and Ron closed it after him, thinking to himself. He wondered what Harry had meant when he said he had it under control. Ron just shrugged, figuring if it was important Harry would tell him eventually. Ron was just happy that Harry wasn't upset about Pansy.

He smiled to himself as he walked back to the kitchen and sat down once more. He took a sip of his tea and sighed contentedly. Ah, yes, things were going well indeed.

OoOoO

"Now what is it that you needed to tell me?" Blaise asked, sounding bored. Pansy just smirked and motioned for him to sit next to her on the couch.

He perched himself carefully next to her, wondering what was up. It couldn't be good given the smile she was wearing, half-satisfied and half-devious.

"Did you enjoy the party last night?" she asked casually.

"Cut the crap, Pansy," he replied tiredly.

She merely raised an elegant eyebrow. "Pardon me?"

"Just tell me why I'm here. What happened last night?"

"Last night," Pansy said thoughtfully. "Last night your best-friend did something probably not to his best advantage."

"Stop skirting the issue," Blaise said, "tell me what happened."

"Fine," she said, clearly displeased at not being allowed to drag it out. "Last night our little Draco and his little Potter went a step further than they intended to."

"A step further?" Blaise repeated slowly. Pansy didn't say anything, waiting for him to comprehend.

Blaise furrowed his eyebrows as her words sank in. He gasped as it hit him and he looked up at Pansy, who had a smug look on her face.

"They didn't!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, they did," she affirmed. "And Draco tells me you saw it coming."

Blaise looked up at Pansy and could tell this was the real reason she had wanted to tell him. He paused for a moment, wondering what he should tell her. In the end he decided the truth would be best. She might be able to help.

"I warned him not to," he said darkly. "You do know what will happen if they start sleeping together?"

"Of course, I know," she responded, laughing slightly. "Draco's kind of predictable that way."

"Unfortunately, I think Potter is as well. He's a Gryffindor, trusting, loyal. If they start this, they're in for it big time. I just hope Draco knows exactly what he's doing."

"So do I. However, I can see them getting in way over their heads."

"This wasn't even supposed to happen!" Blaise exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "This was only supposed to be simple manipulation for old time's sake!"

"Draco still thinks it is," Pansy commented off-handedly.

"He may say that but I know he doesn't believe it," Blaise said seriously. "If he's gotten this far something else must be invested in it."

"He'd never admit that," Pansy said.

"No," Blaise sighed, rubbing his face in his hands, "but I can see it."

"How far do you want to let this go?"

"What?" he asked, lifting his head up from his hands and giving her a questioning look.

"Should we intervene?"

"And do what exactly?"

"Well, telling someone would be a start," she said, as though it was obvious.

"And who are we supposed to tell?!" Blaise exclaimed. "Hermione? She would kill us. The Weaselette? Then Draco, and she, would kill us, not to mention Potter. So tell me, Pansy, who do you recommend telling?"

Pansy gave him a dark look and rolled her eyes. "I don't know," she said scathingly. "It was just a suggestion."

"Well, I don't really think there's anything we can do," Blaise said, sighing.

"Nothing at all?" Pansy asked skeptically.

"Not unless you want to die an early death."

Pansy scowled as she looked at Blaise. He just shrugged at her and didn't say anything more. "So you're going to let Draco dig his own grave?"

"What else is there to do?" he asked. "He wouldn't accept help if we offered. He's too stubborn for that. Besides, I think he secretly enjoys this. I'm just worried of what will happen if they make this sleeping together a regular thing."

"Oh, I think we know what will happen. We just have to keep quiet for now until it comes to a culmination which must be soon."

"Yeah," Blaise scoffed.

"Alright, then you know what you have to do."

"And what's that?"

"Well one, don't tell Hermione."

Blaise scoffed and gave her a look that clearly said, "You think I'm that stupid?"

Pansy ignored the look and went on. "And two, you have to listen to Draco when he wants to talk, or rather, rant."

"What do you think I've been doing for the past twelve years?"

"You know what he's like then," she said simply.

"Yes," Blaise sighed resignedly.

"Alright, so you can handle that?"

"Of course I can," he said scathingly, glaring at her.

She just rolled her eyes. "Fine, well, go home," she said, indicating the fireplace.

He pushed himself off the couch and made his way over to the grate. Just before he stepped into the green flames that sprung up with a handful of the powder, he turned to Pansy.

"This ought to be interesting," he said before stepping into the fireplace and disappearing in a whoosh of green flames.

Pansy leaned back into the couch and sighed to herself. "Yes, it ought to indeed."

_

* * *

A/N: Ah, I have some bad news. Next week I won't be around to post the next chapter on Monday :( I'll be outta town with no computer. So... please review and I'll try to get it up as soon as possible next week!_


	30. One Shot, Two Shots

**Chapter Thirty: One Shot, Two Shots**

"Okay, team, today we're going to try something new..."

Harry sat on the bench in the changing room only semi-listening as Wood went off into a long explanation of a new move he wanted to try out.

The week long vacation had ended the previous week. This was the second week back to practice for the team. Harry was secretly relieved to be back at work and away from home.

During the rest of his vacation, he had received the cold shoulder from Ginny. Not that he really minded. In fact, it was much easier to get along with her when they weren't speaking. He had spent a lot of time thinking over his situation with Draco.

He had come to the conclusion that it wasn't so bad to sleep with him. Actually, it was kind of enjoyable, much more than it had ever been with Ginny. He had decided that sleeping with Draco wasn't the worst he could do.

Unfortunately for him, Draco had not shown up to any of the practices within the last two weeks. Harry was beginning to wonder where he was. Every morning he would search the stands for a glint of blond hair.

He didn't know why he needed to know where Draco was. He didn't understand why he felt disappointed when he discovered Draco wasn't present every morning. He didn't want to admit it, but he was interested in getting together with him again.

He and Ginny hadn't been together in months. Being with Draco had been the first time in a long time that he'd been intimate with anyone. He had forgotten how pleasurable it could be.

Harry sighed as he looked up to the front of the room where Wood was still talking, gesturing with his hands. He glanced over to where Michael sat. He looked as if he was trying not to fall asleep.

Finally, Wood stopped his long explanation and turned to the rest of the team who was now in a kind of stupor. Wood gave a huffy sigh and rolled his eyes. "Come on!" he exclaimed and they all jerked awake.

"Are we done?" someone asked.

Wood just scowled at whoever had asked the question. "No, we've only just started. Now get outside to the pitch!"

The team gave a collective groan and heaved themselves off the bench. Harry walked out to the pitch, dragging his feet as he went along. He was soon joined by Michael as they walked to the middle.

"How are you doing, Harry?" he asked conversationally.

"I'm okay, you know, just trying to..." He trailed away as something in the stands caught his eye.

Draco was sitting on the lower level of the stands, looking quite comfortable despite the biting cold air.

Michael followed his eye-line and smirked. "What was that, Harry?" he asked, taking his attention away from Draco.

"Huh? Oh... uh... I'm just, you know."

"Uh huh," Michael replied slowly.

Harry didn't say anything more, his eyes trained on Draco as they reached the middle of the pitch. Michael rolled his eyes and smirked at Harry's obvious attachment. Once they reached the center of the pitch, Harry was forced to tear his attention from the blond.

"So do you think you can do that move I showed you?" Wood asked, looking around at the team.

They all exchanged worried looks since hardly any of them had actually been paying attention. A few nodded slowly and Wood gave them a doubtful look.

"Okay, get going."

The team mounted their brooms and took off around the pitch. They soared over the grass as Wood released the balls. Harry saw the Bludgers zoom off and the Beaters following after them. The Quaffle was tossed into the air and scooped up by one of the Chasers.

Harry saw the Snitch for about half a second before it vanished in a flutter of golden wings. He urged his broom higher so that he had a commanding view of the stadium. He looked down to where Draco was sitting.

Draco wasn't looking at him, his attention was fixed on the Chasers as they zoomed below Harry. Harry sighed and went back to searching for the Snitch.

A couple hours later, Wood was hoarse from yelling at the Chasers, who apparently hadn't gotten the move right. Harry watched from his position in the sky as Wood gathered the Chasers to try to explain yet again exactly what he wanted.

They were all giving him tired expressions as he gestured wildly with his hands, trying to get his point across. Eventually, Wood just sighed and blew his whistle, signaling the end of practice.

Harry joined the rest of the team as they reconvened on the pitch. Wood opened his mouth to speak but just ended up shaking his head and walking away from them. They all looked at each other and shrugged.

The rest of the team started heading back to the changing rooms while Harry lingered back. He could see Draco in his peripheral vision coming down from the stands.

Harry moved over to the side of the field instead of right in the middle. Draco swaggered over to him in his self-important way. Harry waited nervously, not really sure of what he was doing.

"Your team needs help, Potter," Draco drawled when he got close enough.

"It's your team, too," Harry pointed out.

"Unfortunately."

There was an awkward silence as Harry tried to think of something to say. He stood looking at Draco, who had his arms crossed across his chest. He gave Harry an expectant look when he was silent for more than a few minutes.

"You haven't been to practice lately," Harry blurted out, not being able to think of anything else.

Draco quirked an eyebrow and smirked at him. "Have you been lonely, Potter?" he drawled, still smirking.

"I--no," he said, not looking at Draco.

Draco gave a low chuckle and moved closer to Harry. Harry could feel his nerves increasing just from the simple act of Draco's body coming closer.

"Really? Because I think otherwise," Draco drawled.

Harry swallowed hard as Draco moved closer. He wanted to reach out and touch him but knew he shouldn't make any moves. Instead, he waited until Draco was less than a foot away and willingly moved forward.

Draco reached out slowly and raised a hand to Harry's cheek, caressing it softly. He slid it around to grip the back of Harry's neck lightly. He gave a tug and pulled Harry forward so that their faces were only inches apart.

Draco could feel Harry's increased hot breath on his lips as he moved his head forward. He pressed his lips to Harry's gently, far gentler than he'd done in the past. He increased the pressure and slid his tongue out to lick Harry's bottom lip.

Harry's mouth opened slowly, allowing Draco's probing tongue entrance into its hot cavern. Harry moaned softly as Draco's tongue swirled in his mouth, licking and tasting. The kiss became harsher when Draco pulled on Harry's lower lip with his teeth.

Draco's hand that was still around Harry's neck slid up and into his messy, black hair. Harry whimpered as Draco gave him a hard kiss then abandoned his mouth.

He tugged on Harry's hair, pulling his head back, exposing his neck. Harry moaned as Draco began sucking on his tanned skin. His hands came up to Draco's waist, scrambling underneath the layers of clothes protecting him from the cold.

Draco's licked and sucked on the skin of Harry's skin, nibbling occasionally. Harry groaned as Draco licked down his neck, nibbling at the base of it, creating a red mark sure to remain there for quite sometime. It was lucky Harry had looked up a spell to cover them.

"Ma-Malfoy," Harry panted.

"Mmm?" Draco responded, still sucking on Harry's neck, his hot tongue running over the smooth skin.

"Ca-can we go somewhere else?" Harry asked, his eyes closed as Draco licked a path up to his ear.

Draco pulled back, surprised that Harry was suggesting anything. He leaned in and licked the shell of Harry's ear before flicking his tongue inside it. He heard Harry's breath hitch as he did this and he smirked to himself.

"Where did you have in mind?" he whispered seductively into Harry's ear.

"Anywhere," Harry gasped.

"How does my place sound?" Draco whispered, sucking Harry's earlobe into his mouth.

"Perfect," Harry panted.

Draco ran his other hand around Harry's waist and in a crack they disappeared from the pitch. They reappeared in Draco's living room.

Draco pushed Harry down forcefully on the couch and climbed on top of him. He kissed him hungrily, grinding his erection into Harry's. Harry groaned at the friction and arched his body upward.

Draco's hands pushed themselves under Harry's quidditch jersey and tore it up and over his head. He threw it haphazardly off to the side. He ran his hands over Harry's sculpted chest and up to his neck. He leaned in and kissed him again, sliding his tongue into the willing mouth.

Harry's hands came up and scrabbled at Draco's coat. They pulled it off his shoulders and it was thrown to the floor. Draco shrugged off the tee-shirt he wore underneath it as Harry tore at it. Once he was half-naked, Harry's hands ran down his pale body, marveling at the feeling of his smooth skin.

They moved down to the waist line of Draco's jeans. He had a hard time getting the button undone and the zipper down in his haste. Draco kissed him bruisingly as he messed with the zipper, trying to pull it down.

Harry moaned into Draco's mouth when Draco easily pulled down Harry's jeans, throwing them to the side. He gave a surprised cry as Draco's hand brushed over his achingly hard member.

Draco moved his hand down to palm Harry's throbbing cock. Harry groaned, moving his body, trying to create more friction. Draco removed his boxers, tossing them to join the rest of Harry's clothes.

He stripped off his own jeans that Harry had so far been unsuccessful in his attempts to remove them. He reached down and grabbed Harry's cock, massaging it lightly.

He rubbed his thumb over its leaking tip, smirking when Harry gave a frustrated groan. He kissed Harry's neck softly before leaving fluttering kisses all down his body. He took his time on Harry's nipple, bathing it with his tongue. He pulled on it slightly with his teeth before soothing it with his hot tongue once more.

He kissed his way down Harry's body, across his tight stomach and down to the base of his erection. He licked a path up the thick member, loving when Harry shuddered at the sensation.

He flicked his tongue over the head, licking at the pre-cum that was already there. He swirled his tongue over the throbbing cock, taking him halfway into his mouth. Harry made a noise half between a whine and a moan as Draco did this.

Draco smirked around the member before taking it up to the hilt. He bobbed back and forth over the leaking erection, swirling his tongue over it erotically.

He could tell Harry was close, feeling his muscles tensing. Instead of waiting for him to cum, Draco pulled away. Harry lifted his head with difficulty to look down at Draco.

His eyes were glazed over with lust as he looked down at Draco. "Wh-what are you doing?" he panted, barely able to keep his head up. It flopped down as Draco crawled back up his body.

"Having fun," he replied with a smirk.

Harry only nodded and Draco kissed him again. He sucked Harry's lower lip into his mouth, thrusting his tongue into the raven-haired boy's mouth.

He broke the kiss, pulling away despite Harry's noise of protest. He pulled off his boxers and reached for his wand. He waved it over Harry and muttered a lubricant spell. Harry's back arched as the slick feeling entered him.

Draco rubbed some of the substance on his fingers and slid one into Harry's opening. Harry grunted as he slid in a second finger. Draco wiggled them around, brushing against that spot inside Harry.

Harry's chest was heaving as Draco pushed in a third finger to make absolutely sure. He looked up at Harry who had his eyes squeezed shut. He took out his fingers and replaced them with his pulsing member.

Harry held his breath as Draco pushed his cock into his body. His hands came up to grasp Draco's hips. Draco pushed in until he was fully sheathed in Harry's tight body. Harry let out the breath he'd been holding in slowly. It still hurt despite this being the second time.

Draco began to move slowly, thrusting in and out with increasing speed. Harry's fingernails dug into Draco's hips as he moved faster.

He cried out as Draco hit that spot inside him that caused unimaginable pleasure. When he hit that spot, Harry pushed his body up to meet Draco's, wanting more.

"Fuck," he gasped. "Harder!"

Draco complied readily, slamming his cock in and out of Harry, continuing to brush against his sweet spot, making him incoherent. Harry moaned, throwing his head back in ecstasy.

Draco leaned forward as he thrust in harder and faster. He panted against Harry's neck, his hot breath washing over Harry's ear. He flicked his tongue out and licked Harry's neck, tasting the salty sweat there.

He pressed open-mouthed kisses to Harry's neck as he pushed in faster. Harry gasped as he felt himself coming to his climax. His muscles clenched over Draco's cock and Draco could barely contain himself.

"Shit! Bloody--" Harry panted, his mind lost in the ecstasy of the feeling.

He pushed in one more time and Harry came hard all over his chest. Harry threw his head back as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over his body. Draco thrust in one last time and came too, not being able to hold back when Harry's muscles had contracted around his cock.

He rode out his climax to its end, still buried deep inside Harry. At its end, he collapsed on the couch next to the dark-haired man. They were both breathing hard as they lay there.

It was Harry who moved first. He rolled over to his side which was difficult given the narrowness of the couch. He looked at Draco, who was still lying on his back and staring at the ceiling.

He slid a hand over Draco's waist, rubbing a small circle over his lower back. He shifted his body closer and kissed Draco's neck softly. Draco turned his head to look at him, a little confused by his behavior.

"You're amazing," he whispered against his skin.

"I know," Draco replied self-confidently. He could feel Harry smile against his neck at his words.

They lay there for several more minutes in a kind of contented silence. Finally, Draco felt it was getting too comfortable. He shifted and rolled off the couch. He stood up and began redressing while Harry sat up, his hair tousled and messy, watching him.

"Time to go, Potter," Draco said while pulling his shirt over his head. He reached down and threw Harry's pants at him.

Harry caught the article of clothing and slipped them on. He stood up and grabbed his shirt as well, pulling it on. He looked over at Draco who had finished dressing and was waiting impatiently for Harry to finish.

"Are you coming to practice tomorrow?" Harry asked casually.

"Maybe," Draco replied, not looking at him. Harry nodded and started heading for the door. Draco followed him halfway until they reached the entrance way. He stopped in the archway as Harry continued on to the front door.

At the door, Harry paused as if he wanted to say something. Instead, he turned jerkily to the door and pulled it open, leaving onto the snowy front porch. He looked back as the door swung shut behind him.

Draco sighed and turned away from the door. He hadn't liked the silence from earlier. It hadn't been awkward, it had seemed familiar which was not a good thing as far as Draco was concerned. This was only for fun, to mess with Potter because he wanted to. It was not supposed to turn into anything.

Draco sighed again as he made his way back into the living room. There was the couch still with the remnants of their activities on it. He took out his wand and gave it a quick cleansing charm before flopping down on it in a very undignified sort of way.

He summoned a house-elf and ordered it to bring him something hot to drink. He needed to think about all of this and figure out just what exactly was going on.

OoOoO

Hermione sat in the rocking chair in her living room, rocking back and forth while Jamie slept in her arms. She watched the pure white, fluffy snow float past the window and gather on the ledge beyond.

She was thinking back to the Christmas Party. She hadn't seen much of Harry since that day but what she had seen of him had been much cheerier. She had also seen Ginny, who had seemed less happy than Harry. Hermione had got to wondering what could be causing the disparity between the two.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought about how Harry seemed to chipper and Ginny so angry. At the party Harry had disappeared without a trace as had Draco. She remembered because Pansy had been looking for him after they had managed to coax Ron down from the table top. She hadn't been able to find him which made Hermione suspicious.

She had tried talking to Blaise about it but had gotten nothing but shrugs and vague answers. She knew he knew more than he was telling. It was starting to bother her and she was just about ready to get to the bottom of it.

She heard the door creak open as Blaise arrived home. She didn't move, still rocking in the chair with Jamie in her arms. She waited for Blaise to come into the living room.

She heard him hang up his coat and slip off his shoes. He came into the living room and kissed her on the cheek softly. She smiled up at him nicely and he became immediately on-guard.

"Hi, sweetie," she greeted him. She got up from the chair, taking Jamie over to his crib and laying him down in it. She tucked the blanket around his small body and turned back to her husband.

"Hi," he replied carefully, wondering what he was in for this time.

"Blaise," she said thoughtfully, sitting down on the couch and resting her head on her hands thoughtfully. "There's something I need you to tell me."

"Okay," he said slowly. He moved over and sat down next to her, hoping it was something he could actually answer.

"I need you to tell me everything you know about Harry and Draco... and no lies."

_

* * *

A/N: Well, here it is, a few days late, but what are ya gonna do? I've had a very long day so no homework, just sleep, I think :) Please review!_


	31. If Only Veritaserum

**Chapter Thirty-one: If Only Veritaserum**

"Pardon?"

Hermione turned to her husband, a hard look on her face. Blaise carefully avoided her gaze and sat down in an adjacent chair.

"You heard me," she said seriously.

"What... do you mean... exactly?" he asked slowly, trying to draw out the time before he would be forced to tell her.

"You know what I mean," she said, growing impatient. "Blaise, tell me what is going on!"

"I don't think you really want to know," he said, looking away.

Hermione frowned and gave him a skeptical look. "I think I do," she said firmly.

Blaise sighed and turned to her. "You're _sure_ you want to know?" he asked seriously.

She just huffed and glared at him. "Yes! Tell me right now!"

"Alright, alright," he said, taking a moment to collect himself before telling her all. "Where do you want me to start?"

"The beginning would be a good place," she replied sarcastically.

He nodded and sighed again. "Okay, well, when Draco bought Potter's team, he and Pansy had just gotten a divorce. Pansy suggested he find someone to have fun with," Blaise said, pausing here. "Well, he didn't really like the idea, but I guess something happened and he wasn't getting along with Potter. So he kind of decided that it might fun to... to mess with him."

"Mess with him?" Hermione interrupted. "What does that mean?"

"Well, he kind of wanted to break up Potter's marriage."

"What?!" she exclaimed. "And you let him?!"

"Hey, hold on!" he said, defending himself. "Let me finish before you jump me!"

Hermione scowled but quieted down, allowing him to finish his story.

"So he started this _plan_. I think it was supposed to somehow cause Potter to feel guilty and... I don't know," Blaise sighed. "It was all so complicated and I don't really understand it. At any rate, it hasn't exactly been working the way he wants."

"What do you mean?" she asked carefully. "What exactly have they been doing?"

"They... they've been hooking up, in the less sexual sense. But then a couple weeks ago at the Ministry Christmas party, they went all the way apparently."

Hermione's eyes were wide in shock as Blaise paused. "And Harry's okay with this?!"

"It seems like he doesn't really mind," Blaise said with a shrug. "Now, Pansy and I think that there's something more there--"

"Pansy knows?!" Hermione interjected.

"Yeah, she thinks Draco has more feelings than he's letting on."

Hermione sat in her chair in shocked silence as it all filtered through her head. This was why Harry had been acting odd throughout the past few months; the reason why he'd been speaking in riddles, why she hadn't understood, why Blaise had been so tight-lipped.

"So they're kind of... together?" she asked in a stunned voice.

"Well..." Blaise said, thinking about it. "Not really... I mean, Potter is married and Draco won't admit anything."

"Harry is married," Hermione whispered to herself. "He's married!"

"I know," Blaise said with conviction.

Hermione sighed and stared out the window. "I know Ginny's not the best wife, and she can be a bit uptight, but Harry should know better! He has more morals than that! What is he thinking?!"

"I couldn't tell you," Blaise said simply.

"And Draco has no problems breaking them up, of course," she said bitterly.

"Well," Blaise amended. "I can tell you that he is feeling something more. He may not realize it yet, but I get the feeling this is no where near over."

Hermione gave him an uneasy look before looking back out the window to the dead flowers in the back yard. "What are they going to do when everyone finds out?" she muttered to herself worriedly.

"Actually, most people already know, besides Weasley and the Weaselette."

Hermione gave him a reproachful look at his use of Ginny's not-so-nice nickname. "Do you think Harry's getting attached?" she asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Blaise said, shrugging.

"Do you think I should ask him?"

"Oh, well..." Blaise trailed off, thinking. If she asked him then Harry would know she knew. Would that be a good thing or not?

"I shouldn't," Hermione said firmly. "No... well... I mean, I could. It wouldn't be that bad, right? Besides, he must need to talk to someone!"

Blaise didn't say anything; just let her rationalize with herself. He knew nothing he would say would make any difference.

"I think I will," she said. "Someone needs to talk to him. I wonder if he has any idea what he's doing?!"

"Dunno," Blaise shrugged.

Hermione just rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm glad you told me, sweetie."

She got up from the chair and gave him a soft kiss. She pulled back and smiled at him. Then she turned around, heading for the kitchen.

"I think I'll invite him over," she said with a deceiving smile. Blaise only laughed and she disappeared into the kitchen.

He got up from his chair and walked over to where Jamie slept in his crib. He looked down at the angellic face of his son and gave him a thoughtful smile.

"Your mother is one of a kind," he said, grinning down at the sleeping baby.

OoOoO

Harry walked lazily up the stairs to his apartment. He had a contented smile on his face. He had greeted the doorman with more enthusiasm than was probably necessary and more than he'd done in the past months.

He sighed happily as he jumped up the stairs three at a time. He took out his keys and unlocked the door, allowing it to swing open widely. He walked in and took off his coat and boots. He looked around the room and smiled once more.

He walked over to the couch and collapsed on it, still with a small smile on his face. He reached over for the TV remote and flipped it on. He channel surfed for a while before sighing and setting down the remote, his good mood evaporating.

He looked around him, beginning to wonder where Ginny was. It wasn't like her to be gone when he came home from practice. He had actually come straight home today, looking forward to a quiet afternoon at home.

Over the last few weeks, Ginny had become increasingly quiet. She didn't pick fights with Harry, opting instead to remain silent. Harry had wondered about her odd behavior but had decided why question when she appeared to be normal?

He had let her go on in her silent mode. He preferred this to fighting all the time anyway. He didn't have any desire to know the reason behind her perceived silence. He much preferred to live in a quiet environment.

He didn't pay much attention to her lately anyway. His thoughts were more fixed on a certain blond. He just couldn't seem to get him out of his mind. Deep in the back of his mind he knew what he was doing with Draco was wrong, but how could it be so wrong when it felt so right?

He felt only slightly guilty when he looked at Ginny and thought of what he was doing. But then the little voice in the back of his head would scream something of her betrayal and he didn't feel quite so bad.

He looked around him once more, still wondering where she could have gotten to. Most of the time he didn't bother to find out where she was but normally she was home when he was. He looked over to the coat rack and saw that her coat was gone.

He furrowed his eyebrows and stood up, looking around the room. He couldn't figure out where she went. Normally she was home when he came home, mostly so that she would know where he was at all times.

He heard the door creak behind him and he whipped around. Ginny was coming through the door, wiping off her boots as she did. She took off her heavy coat and hung it up. Harry watched as she walked past him without a word and into the bedroom.

He heard her rummaging through drawers and when she came out she was wearing a different outfit. She walked over to the couch and sat down still without a word to Harry.

"Where were you?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Out," she replied simply.

Harry raised an eyebrow at her back. "Out?" he repeated. "And where is that?"

Ginny turned around on the couch and gave him a hard look. "It's where I want it to be. You don't tell me where you are, I don't tell you where I am."

Harry scoffed at her childishness as she turned back around on the couch to face the fireplace. "Fine," he said. "I was just wondering."

She turned around at him, anger evident. "And where do _you_ go when practice ends at noon and yet you don't get home until one or two in the afternoon?" She raised a challenging eyebrow and waited for his response.

"I'm just going out with friends," Harry lied coldly. He hoped she hadn't figured it out. Truly, he spent most of that time with Draco, though it was few and far between. He didn't know why but Draco had taken to coming to less and less practices. Harry couldn't help feeling disappointed when he didn't see the head of platinum blond hair in the stands before practices.

"Oh, friends are they?" she asked sarcastically.

"Yes, you do know what that is, right?" he asked scathingly.

Ginny's mouth fell open in outrage at his comment. "You are so-- ugh!" she exclaimed, unable to find the words.

"It's not me," he replied scathingly.

"Well, it certainly isn't me," she shot back.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Harry," Ginny said seriously. "Why do we do this? For better or worse. Those were our vows. Till death do us part, don't you remember?"

"Yeah," Harry muttered darkly. "Too bad we're so young, huh?"

"I can't believe you!" she yelled, climbing to her feet.

He just shrugged. "Most people do," he replied with a sarcastic smile.

Her eyes flashed dangerously as she walked around the couch. "Why have you been so happy lately?" she asked suddenly, suspicion etched all over her face.

"What?" he asked, caught off-guard.

"Happy, you, why?" she repeated, punctuating every word. Harry's heart stopped for a second as the words sunk in. She suspected. He quickly snapped himself out of it to answer her question.

"Does it seem that way because it doesn't to me," he replied darkly.

"Please, Harry," she said skeptically. "You have been practically skipping around here."

"I would never," he responded, disgusted.

"I'm going to find out what's going on," she said in a threatening voice. He merely scoffed at her and started to walk back toward the bedroom. "Don't you walk away from me!" she yelled at his retreating back.

He stopped and turned around, sneering at her. "Nothing is going on," he told her coldly. "You're just trying to make a mountain out of a mole-hill. Don't even try."

Then he turned and stalked into the bedroom. He slammed the door so hard the entire wall shook. He sighed and sat down on the bed. He buried his head in his hands and shook his head in despair.

She was getting suspicious, something he could not afford at this point. A little part of him wanted her to find out, to make her feel the pain he had felt when he had learned of her tryst. Another part told him it would be like another Voldemort war if she found out, complete with Death Eaters and everything.

This thing with Draco was getting completely out-of-hand. Harry didn't know what to do. It had started out as an accident, progressed to many run-ins, then finally an agreement. He wasn't sure exactly why Draco had been keen to start it in the first place but he had nevertheless. Now, Harry hadn't seen him for just about a week and was beginning to wonder where he was.

He couldn't deny that he felt a pull to Draco when he was there, not to mention the fact that the prospect of sex was quite appealing to a man who had been deprived for many months.

Harry sighed again, raising his head and stared at the closed door. He wondered how much longer he could keep up this facade and all the lies to Ginny. Despite what she had done to him, she was still his wife and he had loved her at one point. He felt a certain amount of guilt at cheating on her.

Harry laid down on his bed, now staring at the blank ceiling. He put his hands behind his head as he lay there.

_How much is this going to take?_ he wondered. _I hope I can do it..._

_

* * *

A/N: Ah, Mondays, how I despise thee, except for this fic :) Please review!_


	32. Dig a Little Deeper

**Chapter Thirty-two: Dig a Little Deeper**

Ron stood on the outside of his house, looking up at it with an odd expression on his face. He held up his hands like an architect would, assessing the look of a house. He tilted his head to the left and squinted.

Moving back a few paces, he stumbled over a large rock that happened to be situated in his yard. He barely caught himself from falling on his ass on the frosty grass. He straightened up and frowned up at the house.

"What are you doing?" Ginny's voice cut through his thoughts as he stood assessing the house. He turned around to see her picking her way through the messy yard. When she got beside him, he turned back to the house.

"I'm thinking about remodeling," he said.

"Why?" she asked skeptically. The house wasn't exactly in the best condition and it would probably take a lot of work to make decent.

"For Pansy," he said with a smile. Ginny just rolled her eyes at her brother. She thought this marriage to Pansy was idiotic.

"You're going to rebuild your house for her?" she drawled, eyes taking in the lopsided windows and grimy front porch.

"Not rebuild... just fix," he said cheerily.

She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Ron, are you sure about this?"

"Redoing the house? Yes," he said.

"No, I meant about Parkinson," she said.

"Yes," he replied slowly, turning to look at her. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I just don't think she's the best person," Ginny said in a light voice that meant anything but.

"Not a good person?!" Ron repeated incredulously. "You wouldn't know a good person if they hit in you in the face! Wait..."

He stopped as he tried to figure out what he'd just said. Ginny just sneered at him.

He puzzled for a few minutes before just shrugging. "Never mind, you know what I meant," he said.

She just rolled her eyes at him. "I think I can judge characters," she sneered. Ron sighed, knowing he'd made her mad, and a mad Ginny was never a good thing.

"I know," he said, sounding tired. "Did you come here for a reason?"

"Actually, yes," she said, moving away from Ron and walking casually around the house, seemingly inspecting it. He followed her carefully, wondering what she wanted.

"And?" he prompted as they rounded the corner to the side yard. She bent down to inspect the foundation of his house as he watched her skeptically.

"It's about Harry," she said, slowly straightening up and looking at Ron, who appeared nonplussed.

"What about him?"

"Has he told you anything?"

"What do you mean?" Ron's mind flickered back to several conversations he'd had with Harry concerning Ginny and her attitude towards him.

Ginny sighed dramatically. "Do you think he's doing something?"

"What are you-- what?" Ron asked, clearly confused.

Ginny huffed that he didn't understand. "He's been acting oddly lately, don't you think?"

"Not really," Ron said slowly. He hadn't noticed much difference.

"Ron, you're his best friend! You're supposed to notice these things!"

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, throwing up his hands. "But I think he's fine."

Ginny gave him a hard look, trying to assess whether or not he was telling the truth. Ron returned her look with one that said "what?" In the end, she turned away and continued her tour around the house.

Ron lagged behind, wanting this visit to be over. He didn't know why she was so intent on finding something wrong. He wasn't about to tell her about Harry's thoughts about their relationship and his own doubts about it. He hadn't told anyone about her little secret, though he felt horrible about keeping it. She never acted like anything was wrong so he didn't push.

He groaned quietly as they rounded the next corner, coming upon the back porch that jutted out from the house and into a large field that covered the acreage behind his house. Ginny stopped and put her hands on her hips.

"So he doesn't tell you anything?" she asked suspiciously, glancing at Ron.

"No," he said, frustrated. "I don't think you should be worrying about this. Harry's a good guy, you know that."

"What if he's cheating on me?!"

"What gives you that idea?" Ron asked, rolling his eyes.

"I don't know, it's just... Well, he's been really happy lately, too happy."

"And that's your reason?" Ron asked in a disbelieving tone.

"He shouldn't cheat on me!" she exclaimed, ignoring his question.

Ron just shook his head tiredly. "Like you aren't?" he asked quietly.

Ginny's eyes widened and she stared at him. "You promised not to say anything," she hissed as though afraid someone was listening in.

"I haven't, Ginny," he sighed. "But _why_ are you still doing it?"

"Because Harry's never home."

"Yes, he is!"

"Well, he-- I mean, he... He doesn't..." Ginny floundered for a response while Ron looked on annoyed.

"What, Ginny, what? He doesn't love you? He waited for you? He's nice, smart, caring. What is it, Ginny?"

Ginny scowled at him and spun on her heel, walking quickly around the house.

Ron jogged to catch up, following closely behind her. "Come on, Ginny," he called to her, not far behind. "Tell me, what is it? Does he not care for you enough? Or maybe he's not rich enough, or maybe, just maybe, you don't love him."

Ginny stopped short and he nearly ran into her. She whipped around, glaring at him with fire in her eyes. Ron knew he had enraged the monster and backed up slightly.

"You don't know what it's like, Ron," she hissed at him, "being married to Harry Potter. Even if he does care, it's not like I get any attention. Everywhere we go, it's all about him. I've tried to live with it, but I want something more."

"Do you really think he likes all that?!" Ron asked incredulously. "I thought you knew him better than that!"

"I don't care what he likes," she growled through gritted teeth, "this is about what I like. And what I like is someone who doesn't leave me alone at parties all the time."

"Oh, please," Ron scoffed. "I see you every year at that stupid Ministry party. You never give him a second glance. It's been happening for years, what's that about?"

"Other people give me attention, he's always off somewhere being important," she said bitterly.

"But he loved you!" Ron exclaimed. "He married you! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"If he really loved me, he wouldn't always let himself get swept up in other things."

"That's just how Harry is," Ron said harshly. "He can't stop it; he feels obligated."

"I don't care, Ron," Ginny replied scathingly. "I like how things are right now, except that I can't figure out what is going on! I _know_ he's keeping something from me! I am going to find out if it's the last thing I do!"

Ron only sighed heavily and shook his head. She glared at him for a moment before stalking off around the last corner of the house, coming back to the front. When there, she spun around to face Ron, who was coming up behind her.

"You made a promise," she growled in a low voice. "You can't tell anyone. If you do, I'll find out and you _will_ regret it."

"When did you become like this?" Ron asked, looking at her as though he had only just seen her.

She gave him a dark look. "Why don't you ask your precious Harry," she snarled and turned to leave.

"Harry didn't do this," Ron said, stopping her from leaving.

"How do you know?" she asked scathingly.

"Because I know him better than you will ever hope to," Ron said simply. Ginny didn't reply, only sent him one last scathing look before Apparating away.

Ron sighed and turned back to the lopsided house. "This is going to be a long project," he muttered to himself before walking up the front steps and into the house, letting the door swing shut behind him.

OoOoO

Harry landed smoothly on the grass in the middle of the pitch. He swung his leg off his broom and waited as the rest of the team landed around him. Wood gathered them together as a light breeze swept up around them.

"Great practice today!" Wood said enthusiastically. Harry wasn't listening though as his attention had wandered off to the stands where Draco had been sitting during practice. He was now walking slowly around the perimeter of the field.

Wood dismissed the players to the locker rooms. Harry hung back, waiting for the rest of his teammates to leave before he edged over to where Draco was standing, apparently inspecting the field.

As Michael reached the locker rooms, he glanced back and smirked when he saw Harry and Draco. He shook his head in amusement and went to get changed.

"Malfoy," Harry greeted him when he got close enough.

Draco looked up, his face impassive. "Potter," he drawled, moving around him and walking around the edge of the pitch, his vision trained on the ground. Harry turned, watching him go.

He opened his mouth to say something but could find nothing to say. Instead, he moved closer to Draco, following him around the pitch. Draco glanced back once but said nothing of Harry's trailing.

"Malfoy?" he asked once they had gone halfway around the stadium.

"What?" he replied simply, barely glancing up.

"Are you-- How are you?"

"How am I?" Draco repeated, surprised by the question. "What kind of a question is that, Potter?"

"Just a normal question," Harry said slowly. He didn't know why he'd asked it, but he had felt compelled to say something.

Draco rolled his eyes but answered the question just the same. "I'm doing fine, Potter. Why so interested?"

"I'm not interested..." Harry answered slowly. Truthfully, he wasn't sure why he wanted to know, but, for some reason, he felt like he needed to know what Draco was thinking.

"Sure, you're not, Potter," Draco said sarcastically, moving further around the pitch, kicking at the grass as he went.

Though it was only late January, a thaw had already set in, predicting an early spring. The frost on the grass was not as thick as it usually was this time of year. Draco moved at a slow pace around the edge with Harry trailing slightly behind him.

Finally, Draco stopped and turned around suddenly, causing Harry to stop abruptly to avoid running into him.

"What do you want, Potter?" he asked pointedly.

Harry looked taken aback and hesitated. "Nothing, I just... I dunno," he replied. Draco gave him a skeptical look then rolled his eyes in frustration. Harry fidgeted in his place as Draco continued to look at him.

"Something wrong?" he drawled, bored. Harry moved tentatively forward and Draco waited impatiently for something to happen.

"Nothing's wrong," Harry said. He reached out slowly, almost as if he was afraid of being pushed away. He touched Draco's hand carefully, watching for his reaction.

Draco frowned as he looked down at his hand then up at Harry. Harry grew bolder and gripped his hand, pulling him closer. Draco allowed himself to be pulled.

Harry looked at him nervously, his tongue sliding out to wet his dry lips. Draco was nonplussed by the entire situation. Harry leaned forward and kissed Draco tentatively.

The kiss was soft, not pressured. Neither man tried to deepen it, content to leave it as it was. They pulled apart and Harry let go of Draco's hand. Draco looked up at him but said nothing.

"I--I better go," Harry said softly. He turned around and Apparated from the stadium. Draco stared at the spot from which Harry had disappeared. After a while, he shook himself and continued his walk around the stadium.

Harry appeared at home to find that Ginny wasn't there, again. He wondered exactly what she was doing. He went into the kitchen to find a black owl sitting on the counter. A letter was tied to its leg. Harry quickly undid the letter and watched as the owl soared out the window.

He unfolded the parchment and read it through quickly.

_Harry, _

Would you mind joining me for tea this afternoon? You can just swing by after your practice. Hope you can come!

Love, Hermione

Harry folded up the parchment, deciding it would be good to visit with her. He went back out to the living room, put his coat back on, Apparated to her house, and walked up the front walk.

He knocked on the door and waited for it to be opened. Hermione greeted him with a hug and ushered him inside. She hung up his coat in the closet near the door and led the way from the foyer into the living room.

They sat down at a small table next to one of the windows. Hermione conjured a pot of steaming water. She poured Harry a cup and put in a bag of tea. She poured herself one as well and added the tea bag.

"Harry," she said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, Hermione?"

"I've been thinking."

"Uh oh."

Hermione laughed for a moment then stopped. "No, really, I've been thinking about Draco."

"What about him?" Harry asked nervously, setting down his teacup.

"I think I should set him up with someone," she said thoughtfully, not looking at Harry.

"What?" Harry asked, sounding slightly panicked.

"Well, you know, he hasn't been with anyone since his divorce. Don't you think it would be nice if I could find him someone?"

"Uh..." Harry didn't know what to say. A part of him wanted to shout that Draco was his, and no one else could have him! Then the rational part... wait, what rational part?

"I was thinking maybe someone from the _Prophet_. There are a lot of nice men there," she said, still not looking at Harry but instead gazing out the window.

"What if he doesn't want to date anyone?" Harry asked.

"Why wouldn't he?" Hermione asked, finally looking at Harry. He was frowning and not looking very happy at her suggestions.

"He might... I mean, maybe there's a reason he hasn't seen anyone."

"Like what?"

"Er..." Harry stalled, trying to come up with a plausible reason. "Maybe he's just not ready."

"Not ready?" Hermione repeated skeptically. "It's been months. He's a male; they can't go that long."

Harry scowled but didn't respond to the statement. He wasn't looking at her now, meaning he missed the fact that she was watching him intently.

"Or maybe there's another reason," she said carefully, watching Harry closely. His eyebrows furrowed closer together as she said that. He didn't say anything. "Maybe he already has someone and no one knows." Still Harry didn't respond, looking down at his teacup. "Or maybe," she went on. "Maybe, he's celibate."

At that, Harry let out a derisive laugh then quickly covered his mouth, looking horrified. Hermione raised an eyebrow, still surveying him closely.

"Anything you'd like to add, Harry?" she asked. He glanced up at her quickly, hand still covering his mouth, and shook his head quickly. "Really?" she continued. "So you wouldn't like to tell me that you've been having a secret relationship with Draco Malfoy for the past four months?"

* * *

A/N: Please review!


	33. Can't Hide Forever

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Can't Hide Forever**

Harry stared at her in complete horror. His mouth still covered his mouth as it hung open beneath it. His eyes were wide as saucers as he stared at Hermione. He lowered his hand slowly, his eyes fixed on her.

"W-what?" he stuttered, a look of utter terror on his face.

Hermione gave him a pointed look. "You've been having an affair, Harry James Potter!"

"I--I-- H-how did you know?!" he asked, unable to believe it.

Hermione gave him a withering look at his daring to even ask such a question. "Harry, you do know who I am, right?"

He just gave her a dirty look in return then looked back at his teacup, playing with it nervously. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" he asked, looking up at her pleadingly.

She paused here, looking very thoughtful while Harry watched her through terrified eyes. If she decided to tell, he was ruined! She glanced at Harry, who looked absolutely horrified. He was watching her apprehensively as she drew out the long silence that stretched between them.

"Tell me something, Harry," she said, leaning forward and laying her hands on the table and regarding him seriously. "Why?"

"Why?" Harry echoed, surprised by the question. "W-why what?"

"Why did you do it?" Hermione asked, watching him closely.

Harry hesitated, fiddling nervously with the handle on his teacup. He didn't meet Hermione's eyes, staring at a spot on the tablecloth instead.

"Ginny did something and I wanted to get back at her," he said quietly.

"What did she do?" Hermione prodded carefully.

"She..." Harry paused, gathering himself. "She cheated on me."

"What?" Hermione asked, shocked by this information. "How do you know?"

"Ron told me once when he was drunk," Harry muttered, pushing his cup around on the table.

Hermione sat back in her chair, completely taken aback by what Harry had just told her. She had never imagined that Ginny would cheat on Harry, but, then again, she had never thought Harry capable of it either.

"Is she still cheating?" Hermione asked carefully.

Harry shrugged, still looking intently at the table. "Dunno, maybe," he said quietly.

Hermione stared at him in complete shock. "So that's why you did this?" she asked. "That's why you've been getting together with Draco? To get back at Ginny for what she did?"

"That's not all," Harry amended, still refusing to look at her. "We fight all the time. She doesn't trust me which she probably shouldn't, but she doesn't seem to realize what _she's_ done makes her untrustworthy too. I don't think she even thinks about what she's doing. Whenever we get near to the subject, I don't think she even thinks about it! That means she doesn't care; it's not important enough to keep her attention, to make her see why I get so upset with her."

"But why Draco, Harry?" Hermione asked pressingly. She was interested to find out why Harry had chosen the blond. She already knew Draco's reasoning's but she was curious to know her friends'.

"I don't know," he said quietly. "He was just kind of there and he wasn't really against it so..."

Harry shrugged as he trailed off. He sighed and looked out the window where the bright sun reflected off the frosty grass.

Hermione watched him with concern. "And what are your feelings now?" she pressed on carefully, keeping a close watch on him.

"I'm not sure," Harry replied, biting his lip nervously. "How much do you know?" he asked carefully.

"I know you're sleeping together," she said slowly. She didn't want to reveal too much of what she knew had been Draco's original motive.

"Oh," Harry said quietly. "Well, Draco's... different, like when I'm with him I don't feel completely alone. I know he probably doesn't feel the same way but it's nice to be with someone like that. I mean, I still kind of dislike him, but it's better now. He and I get along better. I can't stop myself thinking about him."

Hermione looked at her friend in pity. It sounded to her like he was falling for Draco. She didn't know Draco very well, but she knew enough to tell that Draco would not exactly be open to that idea.

"Harry, what if Ginny finds out?" she asked seriously.

"I don't know!" Harry said hopelessly. "I can't let her find out! She would kill me!"

"That is true," Hermione muttered to herself, thinking hard. "If she does though, there's going to be hell to pay. Have you thought about this, Harry? Are you prepared to do something if she finds out?"

"Like what?" Harry asked rhetorically. "I have no idea what I would do if this all got out! That's why it can't! We have to keep this a secret. No one was supposed to know in the first place, and then I told Seamus and I don't know, it just got out-of-hand."

"Seamus?" Hermione interrupted. "What did he do?"

"Oh... well, he kind of helped me 'cause Malfoy was going off with Michael and I didn't really like that," Harry said, staring into the bottom of his teacup.

"But he's not helping anymore?"

"No, I don't really need his help anymore."

"Okay, so you like Draco now... kind of?" Hermione asked carefully, hoping not to scare him.

"What?" Harry asked, finally looking up at her.

"What do you feel about him?" she pressed.

"Er... I don't know..." Harry replied slowly, looking confused.

"Oh, Harry, you must feel something!" Hermione said exasperatedly.

"I feel like I don't know what's going on!" Harry exclaimed.

Hermione sighed and reached over to grab his hand. He looked up at her with hopeless eyes. "Harry, I know you must feel terrible pressure from this, but I want you to know that I'm behind you."

"What about Ginny?" Harry asked, confused. Ginny had been Hermione's closest girl friend during the past few years.

Hermione shifted in her chair awkwardly. "Well, Ginny has kind of changed," she said.

"I've noticed," Harry muttered.

"But I care for both of you. Obviously, what you have isn't working. Now, I'm not saying I support you having an affair, but I'm always here for you. I don't want you to feel like you can't tell me things."

"I know, Hermione," Harry sighed, giving her a small smile.

"Good, now, we need to figure out something here," she said. "What do you want from all this?"

"I want to stop fighting with Ginny! I want to feel something again, I want real love again. I can't take it anymore! I want someone to trust me. I don't want to be cheating on her but it just feels so right with Malfoy."

"Maybe it's not Ginny you should be focusing on," Hermione said quietly, glancing at him sideways.

He furrowed his eyebrows at her statement. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Maybe you should work on the relationship with Draco."

"What relationship?" Harry scoffed. "We don't have a relationship. We shag on occasion, and I feel better knowing that Ginny's not the only one who can have a little secret. I don't want her to find out, and yet, I want her to feel the sting of knowing she's not good enough; it's what I feel every time I even think about her." He scowled darkly as these words issued from his mouth.

Hermione was watching him closely as he vented his feelings to her. She understood what he meant and now it was clearer why he had chosen Draco for these deeds.

"Well, I think Draco feels more than you know," Hermione said.

"How do you know that?" Harry asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"It's just a hunch, Harry," she told him.

He gave her a suspicious look before shrugging. "Maybe, but he wouldn't tell me anything."

"Why not? You could at least try," Hermione said.

"Weren't you listening?!" Harry exclaimed. "I said we got along better, I didn't say we were best friends. He doesn't feel any way about me and even if he did, he wouldn't tell me."

"Which is why you need to ask!"

"Hermione!" he yelled, frustrated.

"Come on, Harry," she said. "There's only one way to find out."

"I'm not going to ask him! That would be a nice conversation, wouldn't it? 'Say, Malfoy, you don't happen to love me, do you?' Somehow I doubt he'd tell me the truth."

"I wouldn't expect him to confess undying love, but you need to know how he feels."

"No, I don't," Harry said, looking at her plaintively. "I'm fine with how things are. As long as Ginny doesn't find out and kill me, I really don't need to know how he feels. Besides, this wasn't supposed to _be_ anything and now it's turning into this huge fiasco!"

Hermione sighed in frustration at his attitude, shaking her head. "I just want you to be happy, Harry."

"I am," Harry said, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself. "Really, Hermione. I don't need to know what he's thinking. I'm fine with how things are."

She gave him an uneasy look but held her tongue for the moment. She stood up from the table and he followed suit.

"Well," she sighed. "I guess there's nothing more to say."

Harry gave her a sad smile and pulled her into a hug. "I'm glad you're so concerned about me, Hermione, but I can manage this. Don't worry."

She returned his smile only halfway as they pulled apart. She led him back through the house and to the front entrance way. She pulled his coat out of the closet and he slipped it on. They said good-bye and he waved to her as he reached the end of the walkway and Disapparated.

She closed the door softly, leaning back on it and looking down at the floor. She only hoped that Harry really could handle all that was sure to come.

OoOoO

Over the next few days, Harry found himself dwelling on Hermione's words and her suggestion that he find out what Draco was thinking. He didn't know why it bothered him so much that he couldn't stop thinking about it.

Despite his best effort to drop these questions from his head, he was unable. What was worse was that Draco had not come to practice in the last few days. He often wondered where the blond-haired man was.

In his conversation with Hermione, he had accidentally let slip something he hadn't even thought about himself. He had an inkling that he was feeling more for Draco than he was supposed to, but the conversation had brought out more than he'd imagined.

He knew that his thoughts often strayed to Draco and more than just wondering where he was. He found himself drifting off, fantasizing about the lithe body pressed against his, a hot tongue on his neck, caressing the skin there. He knew these thoughts weren't normal and tried repeatedly to stop them. It was no use, though, so he had eventually just given in to letting his mind run wild.

Ginny had been especially quiet over the last couple days. Harry hadn't even thought to question it, opting to let her go on and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Harry was now flying over the heads of his teammates, skimming the air lightly. His head wasn't really in the game today. He couldn't keep his gaze from straying away from the pitch to where Draco sat, actually having shown up for once, in the stands watching the practice.

Before he knew it, he was lost once again in thoughts of the blond crawling over his body, dipping his tongue into the crevices of his neck, running over his throat, nipping at the sensitive skin.

Harry vaguely heard a whistle from far away. He shook his head quickly and looked around him. The rest of the team had already landed and was gathered around Wood. Harry quickly joined them, hopping off his broom and moving to listen to what Wood was saying.

"... Got to watch the swerve up there. Michael, make sure you accelerate when you go into the last leg of that move. It's imperative." Wood looked around at the team who was waiting for him to dismiss them. "Alright, have a good weekend."

Harry turned with the rest of the team to go back to the locker rooms.

"Potter!" A voice caught his attention and he turned around instinctively.

He saw Draco swaggering towards him from the stands. Behind Harry, Michael glanced back, smirking as he saw who had called to Harry. He shook his head and turned back, heading for the showers.

"Were you awake today, Potter?" Draco drawled once he got near enough Harry.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

"Up there," Draco said, indicating the sky. "You looked like you were asleep on your broom."

"I wasn't... I was just distracted," he said slowly.

"Distracted, eh? And what exactly were you thinking of?" Draco drawled, moving forward and running a finger over the front of Harry's Quidditch jersey.

"N-no one-- er, I mean, nothing," Harry corrected himself quickly, swallowing nervously.

Draco smirked and let out a low laugh, running his tongue over his dry lips. He moved closer, his hand now sliding up and around Harry's neck. Harry's bright green eyes watched him carefully, wondering what he was going to do.

"If you're going to be distracted, Potter," Draco said in a low voice. "It better be by something good."

He leaned in and kissed the corner of Harry's mouth lightly. Harry's breathing quickened by the small touch from Draco. His eyes flickered up to Draco's face, meeting his silver eyes that glittered in the early afternoon sun.

"What if it is good?" Harry asked quietly.

"What was it then?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking at Harry. He could see Harry hesitating and his eyes flicked down toward the ground. Draco yanked his head up, forcing him to meet his eyes. "What?"

"You," Harry said quietly. He looked up at Draco whom he was surprised to see was smirking.

He pulled Harry's head forward a tiny bit, their lips coming into close proximity but not quite touching.

"That is your best excuse you've had yet, Potter," he told him, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Draco pulled Harry the rest of the way forward and into a blazing kiss. Harry's hand automatically came up to Draco's back while Draco's tongue thrust deeper into the his mouth. Harry moaned appreciatively, and Draco pulled away, panting.

"Hold on, Potter," he panted. "We can't do this here."

He pulled Harry flush against his body, and they were gone in a Pop.

* * *

A/N: Yay! We hit 600 reviews! And NinjaoftheDarkness, I wrote your gift!fic! But it's not ready yet :) Anywho... please review! Can we make it to 700? lol.


	34. Helplessly in Need

**Chapter Thirty-four: Helplessly in Need**

They reappeared in Draco's bedroom. The early afternoon sunlight filtered in through the windows, casting long white lines of sunshine on the floor on either side of the bed.

Draco wasted no time pushing Harry down on the plush bed. Harry shifted himself the right way up on the bed, lying his head down on a fluffy pillow. Draco smirked at him from the foot of the bed and began crawling sensuously up his body. He came to the zipper of Harry's pants then ran a hand teasingly around his waist.

Harry arched into his touch, already breathing hard. Draco pushed up Harry's shirt, exposing his taught and toned stomach. He ran his hand under the soft material and over Harry's chest. He could feel Harry's accelerated breathing under his fingertips.

Draco ran his hands back down Harry's body, coming once again to the edge of his pants. He moved them around and unzipped the pants, pushing them forcefully off Harry's hips. Harry arched his back slightly, allowing the garment to be removed and flung to the floor.

Draco smirked as Harry's erection tented against the confines of his boxers. He pressed his palm lightly into the throbbing hardness, enjoying the moan that came from the man above him. He looked up at Harry to find him staring down at him, lust swirling around the glazed, deep green eyes.

Harry moaned again, throwing his head back on the pillow as Draco pressed harder down on his erection. Draco soon abandoned his activity, ignoring the whimper that came from Harry.

His hands grazed up Harry's skin, setting fire everywhere he touched. They traveled up his hips and over his sides. Draco grabbed Harry's shirt, tugging it over his head. When it was off, he looked down at Harry's tanned chest, running his hands over it, loving how Harry responded to his every touch.

He sat up over Harry; his leg nestled in between Harry's and removed his own shirt, tossing it to the side to join Harry's clothes. He quickly unzipped his trousers and was about to push them off when Harry's hands reached out.

He carefully slid them over Draco's slim hips and Draco gave him a small smirk. Draco pushed them the rest of the way off, and kicked them to the side. He moved gracefully up Harry's body and kissed the corner of his mouth softly, then his lower lip, then he took the lip in his mouth, sucking on the plump flesh.

Harry opened his mouth, allowing Draco's tongue to invade the hot caverns. He groaned appreciatively as Draco's tongue thrust willingly into his mouth, tasting and sucking all that it could.

Harry's hands came up to grip Draco's hips, grinding their erections together. Draco couldn't suppress a groan into Harry's mouth as their cocks brushed against each other, shooting a wave of heat through his body.

Draco reached down, grabbed Harry's boxers, and shoved them off. Harry gasped as the cool air hit his erection. Draco grinned up at him evilly before licking his stomach, giving him a little nip. He wound his tongue up over Harry's body, over the taught muscles, and to his erect nipples.

The hot tongue swirled over the erect nubs, bathing them before pulling on them lightly with his teeth. Harry arched into the contact, whimpering for more. He couldn't help his body's response to the blonds' ministrations.

"Draco," Harry whispered, his eyes shut tightly as Draco continued to lick his way up Harry's chest.

He looked up sharply as he heard his given name, but Harry seemed completely unaware that he'd said anything wrong. He moved upward to suck on Harry's neck, nibbling on the exposed skin. Harry moaned and shifted his body under Draco's, bringing his erection into contact with Draco's once more.

Harry was rock hard and needed more contact or he was going to explode. Draco nipped at Harry's jawbone, later soothing the spot with his tongue.

Harry whimpered as Draco nuzzled his neck and whispered in his ear. "You need to learn to relax, Potter," he whispered, his hot breath washing over the raven-haired man's ear.

Harry just groaned in frustration. "Fuck, Draco. Malfoy, come on," he begged.

Draco gave him an odd look, noticing his slip-up once more. He ignored it, though, kissing Harry's jaw then licking Harry's lips, inviting him to steal a kiss. Harry pulled Draco's tongue into his mouth, giving him a long, slow kiss.

When they broke apart, both were panting. Draco's hand slithered down in between the two bodies and under Harry's boxers. He shoved them off roughly, letting them drop onto the floor. He grasped Harry's cock, stroking lightly, using pre-cum as a lubricant.

Harry whimpered again, still wanting more. Draco smirked at him again, then reached over and grabbed his wand from the mess on the floor. He muttered a lubricant and protection spell and Harry arched when the slick sensation entered his body.

Draco coated his finger as well and slid one into Harry's opening, wiggling it deeper inside the man, brushing against his prostate, causing Harry to gasp in surprise. He added a second finger, scissoring the two, stretching the opening well. Harry groaned as Draco's fingers teased him mercilessly.

Finally, Draco removed the fingers, and replaced them with his pulsing cock. He gritted his teeth as he pushed into the tight warmth of Harry's body. Harry gasped when Draco pushed harder, sliding his cock deeper into his body.

"God, move, please," Harry whispered, panting slightly once Draco was fully engulfed in his tight hole.

Draco pulled back then slammed back in to the tight heat, and Harry gave an arching cry. Draco shifted slightly, changing the angle of his penetration, and then slammed his hips back into the raven-haired man. Harry's hips arched up to meet him, his muscles contracting around Draco's member.

Draco's thrusts became more erratic as he continued, increasing the speed and force of each thrust. Harry was babbling incoherently as Draco continued to slid his cock in and out of his body in a rhythmic motion.

"Draco... fuck, please... I need... Oh, god," he panted, his breath coming in sharp gasps as Draco slammed once more into his receptive body.

"What do you need, Harry?" Draco whispered, coming in close to Harry's ear.

Harry's eyes were shut tight as Draco pushed in harder. Harry didn't answer, only shook his head violently. Draco kissed his ear then moved back up.

He pushed in hardest and felt Harry's muscles clench around his cock and he knew that Harry had reached his climax. White, hot cum shot everywhere as Harry came forcefully. His head was thrown back against the fluffy pillows as he gave a cry. He lay there panting as his climax washed over him.

As Harry's muscles clenched down on Draco's erection, he felt himself losing control. All he saw was dazzling white for several seconds as he came inside Harry's body. He dropped down on the bed, unable to hold himself up as he came down from his high.

Several minutes passed without a word. Finally, Draco moved, pulling out of Harry's limp body. Harry winced slightly when he was fully removed. Draco lay there for a while, breathing hard but not saying anything.

"Did you call me Harry?"

Draco looked over at Harry, who had finally spoken, breaking the peaceful silence of the room.

"You called me Draco," he replied.

"I did," he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else. He looked over nervously at Draco, who had propped himself up on his elbow to look down at Harry.

"Potter," he said simply, sliding and hand around Harry's neck and sighing, "that can't happen again."

Harry nodded, his eyes showing a hint of disappointment. Draco's eyes flickered over his face then he leaned down and kissed Harry softly, his fingers gently massaging Harry's neck.

Harry's hand came up to grasp Draco's arm lightly as they continued to kiss. The kiss was unlike so many others they had shared. It wasn't demanding, but soft, caressing.

Tongues danced around each other in a tentative dance, tasting carefully. Harry gave a contented sigh when the kiss was broken.

Draco gave Harry one last fleeting glance before pushing himself and beginning to get dressed.

Harry sighed and followed suit, pulling on his boxers and pants, then his shirt as well. Draco stood by the door, waiting for him to finish then motioned him out the door. He followed him down the stairs and to the front door.

At the door, Harry turned around, looking like he wanted to say something. Instead, he just sighed and turned to leave. Draco caught his arm and turned him around.

He pulled Harry towards him and gave him a soft kiss. He let Harry go and smirked.

"See you at practice, Potter," he said, opening the door for Harry. Harry gave him an odd look before walking out the door. As he heard the door shut behind him, a small smile blossomed on his face.

Draco shut the door and leaned against it, hanging his head and closing his eyes momentarily. He shook himself mentally and pushed away from the door.

He walked back into the living room, looking around it and wondering what to do. His eyes fell on the fire grate and a spark shot into his eyes. He walked over to it and lit a fire. Then he reached into an ornamental jar on his fireplace for a handful of green powder.

He threw it into the flames and called. "Pansy, come talk to me."

He sat down on the couch and waited. Seconds later, a revolving shape appeared in the fireplace and Pansy stepped elegantly out, brushing soot off her dress.

"Yes, Draco?" she asked.

"Sit," he said, indicating the couch. She sat down at the opposite end, kicking off her shoes and curling her legs underneath her comfortably.

"What is this about?" she asked without any preamble.

He scowled at her inference. "What makes you think there's something going on?"

"Because you never call me just to chat," she replied simply. "So what happened this time?"

"Nothing happened," he replied scathingly.

"Really?" she asked interestedly. "So you've been a good boy lately? No more sleeping with Potter? Keeping your hands to yourself, eh?"

"Why do you always assume the worst?" Draco sneered, unnerved by how accurate she was.

"Who said it was the worst?" she asked with a mysterious smile.

Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes. She was watching him carefully and he knew it was no use to conceal anything from her. She knew him too well.

"Fine," he said, sighing dramatically. "Potter and I are still shagging, happy now? You were right. And now there are more problems."

"More?" she asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

Draco sighed again. "Yes, I... I think I'm... I--"

"You're what?" Pansy interrupted as he showed no sign of completing the sentence on his own.

"He's getting to me!" Draco exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" she asked carefully.

"I mean, I can't stop thinking about him. And when we're together, something feels... different."

"Different? How?" Pansy pushed, interested to know if Draco was finally realizing what she and Blaise had known for a while.

"Well, at first it was just okay, you know. It was only a little messing around. We would do whatever and go our separate ways. Now, I feel almost bad when he leaves... It's odd, you know? I don't know why I feel like that. I mean, he's just a guy. Just someone to mess with, have a little fun. And then, his wife! It's no wonder he wanted to cheat on her. I can't believe he has to go home to that."

Pansy stared at him as he finished. He huffed and glared at the fire. Finally he looked up at her and gave her a questioning look.

"What?"

"Are you... Are you telling me," Pansy said, a smirk creeping on her face, "that you're beginning to care for Potter?"

"What?! No!" Draco exclaimed.

"Really? Because it kind of sounds like that to me," she said suggestively.

"Well, maybe, I mean, no! He just—I mean, I can't—I don't..." Draco trailed off. He realized deep down that what she was saying had some veracity to it.

Pansy reached over and set a hand comfortingly on his arm and gave him a warm smile. "It's okay to have feelings, Draco. Most people do."

He scowled at her then averted his gaze to the carpet. He didn't know what he was going to do about this. It was all just getting to be too much.

"What am I going to do about it then?" he asked her.

"You've just got to figure it out," she said simply.

"Yeah, you're really helpful, Pansy. You know that?" he said sarcastically.

She just shrugged at him from her position on the couch. "Well, anything I say wouldn't help anyway. But at least you've learned something."

"Oh yeah? And what was that?"

"That it's not a good idea to manipulate someone who can possibly lead to your downfall."

"Yeah, you're really no help at all."

"I know."

OoOoO

Ginny paced around the living room, glancing up at the clock every five seconds. It was an hour past when Harry was due to be home. She huffed again to herself and resumed her pacing.

She wanted to know what was going on. Obviously, everyone was hiding something from her and she was going to find out what it was.

She stopped in the middle of the room and looked at the clock once more. It had only moved a minute between then and the last time she had looked.

_Where is he?!_ she thought adamantly, _he should be home by now!_

She continued her angry pacing as she circled the room once more. It enraged her that they were all concealing something from her. She stopped once more, thinking to herself.

_If no one will tell me, I'll just have to find someone who will._

With that thought, she Apparated in a crack from the apartment. She reappeared in front of a large white house. She walked quickly up the front path and knocked roughly on the front door.

There was a moment of silence until the door was opened and Hermione appeared in the opening.

"Ginny," she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

* * *

A/N: I updated early! Techncially it's Monday. So Please review!


	35. Miserable Bliss

**Chapter Thirty-five: Miserable Bliss**

"Oh, Hermione," Ginny sighed dramatically, pushing her way past her and into the house.

Hermione shut the door behind her and followed her into the living room. Ginny walked over and sat down in one of the armchairs around the fire, heaving a huge sigh as she did so.

Hermione approached her carefully, wondering what she was here for. Obviously it could be for nothing good. Hermione sat down tentatively in one of the arm chairs next to her and waited for Ginny to say something.

When nothing was forthcoming, Hermione cleared her throat.

"So Ginny, why are you here?" she asked, sounding confused. She was interested to know why the red-head was showing up on her front porch in the middle of the day. She glanced over to her desk where some of the work she had left to do was sitting.

"Hermione," Ginny said, giving her a serious look. "I'm here about Harry."

"Oh, what about him?" she asked lightly. She already knew the reason. It was quite obvious from the way Ginny was looking at her, as though trying to decide how much she knew.

"You must know something is going on?" Ginny asked her, watching her closely.

Hermione just shrugged and waved her wand, conjuring a kettle of hot water and some tea bags along with cups. She poured herself a steaming cup of tea and offered some to Ginny.

"Tea?" she asked, offering a cup to her.

Ginny frowned at the cup Hermione was offering. "No," she said shortly. "Hermione, has Harry talked to you at all lately?" she asked pressingly.

"Well," Hermione said thoughtfully, sipping her tea. "He came by the other day."

"What did you talk about?" Ginny asked eagerly, scooting forward in her chair.

Hermione saw her eagerness and paused. "Oh, you know, mostly about Quidditch. He just loves that sport," she said with a smile. She raised her cup to her lips to hide her laugh as Ginny scowled at the information.

"That's it? You didn't talk about anything else?" she asked.

"Hmm," Hermione said, pretending to think hard. She had promised Harry she wouldn't reveal anything to Ginny. Even though she and Ginny were friends, her loyalties lie with Harry.

"Anything odd that he said?" Ginny suggested as Hermione remained silent.

"Well, we did talk about Ron and Pansy," Hermione said at length. "Can you believe those two? Who would have thought they would get together? I certainly didn't. I think they'll do well, don't you?"

She could see Ginny getting angrier as she talked on about Ron, something that was completely unrelated to what she wanted to know.

"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed, annoyed. "Just tell me what's going on with Harry!"

"What's going on with Harry?" Hermione repeated. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean!" she yelled, getting angrier by the second at the lack of information. She had figured that Hermione of all people would have figured out what was going on.

"I'm sorry, Ginny, but I don't know what you're talking about. Harry seems perfectly content to me."

Ginny let out an annoyed growl. Absolutely no one was being helpful. "No!" she yelled, standing up. "He's doing something, I know it! He won't tell me and no one else will either!"

"Sorry," Hermione apologized with a shrug. "But I haven't noticed anything."

"Fine," Ginny growled. "I have to go anyway."

She got up and practically stalked from the room. Hermione followed her out to the front door and watched as she told her goodbye and stormed down the walk, disappearing at the end of it.

Hermione shut the door and sighed. She felt bad lying to her friend, but she saw what Harry meant about Ginny becoming unmanageable. Hermione didn't want to be the one who revealed Harry's secret. That was for Harry to do when he was ready. She only hoped Ginny didn't figure it out before then. She seemed pretty gung-ho about finding out what was going on.

OoOoO

Ginny arrived back at the flat only to find that it was still empty. Harry's coat was still gone from the rack by the door. She was at a loss of what to do for a moment. It was the weekend, meaning she would have to be home with Harry for the next two days.

She didn't think she could take being alone with him for that long and knowing something was wrong. She knew Harry would never tell her whatever it was and no one was willing to give her any kind of information, so she had to figure it out herself.

She was still fuming from her encounter with Hermione. She couldn't tell for sure but she thought that Hermione had not been completely honest with her.

She looked around her at their small living room. It seemed cramped all of a sudden. Harry often complained that it was but she always paid him no notice. Now though, she thought the small space was suffocating.

She decided that she needed to get out, to get away. She needed time to think all this over.

She turned abruptly and walked into their bedroom. She grabbed a suitcase from under the bed and began piling clothes in it. Once she was packed, she went into the kitchen. She scribbled a short note and left it on the counter.

Then she walked back into the bedroom and grabbed the suitcase, Disapparating in a crack.

About ten minutes later, Harry pushed open the front door carefully, looking around closely for any sign of Ginny. He sighed when he saw that her coat was gone. He took off his own and hung it up on the rack by the door and made his way into the kitchen.

He went to the fridge and pulled out something to drink. He sat down at the counter and was gazing out the window at the smog covered sky of London when a piece of parchment caught his eye.

He set down his drink and walked to the other end of the counter and picked it up. There in Ginny's loopy handwriting was a note for him.

_Harry, _

I went away for the weekend. I'll be back on Sunday.

-Ginny

Harry set down the note, thinking to himself. If she was gone then that meant a relaxing weekend.

He felt an excited glint in his stomach at the thought. It was soon replaced with a sick feeling, though. If she was gone for the weekend, what was she doing?

He sighed and threw down the note, not wanting to think about it anymore. He went back to the other end of the counter and grabbed his drink, taking it into the living room with him.

He sat down on the couch with a large sigh. He sat there and stared at the black television screen for some time. He didn't know if he should be happy about Ginny's absence or not. Sure, it got her away from him for a while, but it was also very likely that she was off with some man doing God knows what.

Harry set his feet up on the coffee table and leaned back comfortably on the couch. For the moment, he decided to take this as an opportunity to relax in his own home.

OoOoO

The weekend passed well enough. Without Ginny there, Harry was able to actually feel like it was his home. He cooked whatever he wanted for dinner, got up whenever he wanted and did whatever he wanted.

He was quite enjoying himself, choosing not to speculate on what, or who, Ginny may or may not be doing. He almost forgot that she would be coming home soon.

On Sunday, Harry roused late once more. He shuffled out to the living room after getting dressed. He looked around at the mess that had been procured over the last few days. He reminded himself to clean it up and went into the kitchen.

He made himself a nice breakfast, or rather, lunch. When he finished it, he was just putting away the dishes when he heard the front door swing open. He froze, his arm holding a plate, posed to put it in the cupboard.

He heard the door slam and he bit his lip, knowing that Ginny was obviously not in a good mood. He had thought her weekend away would put her in a good temper at least for a while.

"Harry!" He heard a yell from the living room.

Carefully, he slid the plate in the cupboard and shut it quietly. Gingerly, he stuck his head out of the doorway and followed it carefully into the living room.

"Welcome home," he said, trying to be cheerful.

He saw her eyes roving over the mess on the floor, clothes lying about, shoes piled by the door, plate and cups not on coasters. They came up to rest on Harry, narrowed dangerously.

"What happened here?" she asked in a low voice.

"I just forgot to clean up," Harry said quickly, sensing a fight coming on.

"So you can't even take care of yourself for three days?" Ginny asked sarcastically. "Typical."

Harry fought to keep himself calm. He knew she was angry about something and was just baiting him to get him to respond and fight with her.

"I'm sorry," he apologized half-heartedly. "I'll clean it up right away."

"Too right, you will," she snarled.

Harry rolled his eyes and turned to go back in the kitchen to get his wand.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me!"

"I didn't," he said calmly, his back to her.

"Yes, you did! Harry James Potter, you will not disrespect me like that!"

"Ginny, stop trying to pick a fight," Harry said harshly, turning around to look at her.

"I am not," she snarled. "If you could just be a clean person, we wouldn't have this problem."

"My cleanliness is not the problem," Harry replied hotly. "You just can't leave anything alone!"

"At least I don't hide things from you," she replied scathingly. Harry couldn't believe her audacity to say such a thing.

"I'm sure you do," he growled back, careful not to let her know what he did.

"No, Harry, I don't. If you would just tell me what was going on--"

"Then what?" Harry interrupted her, giving her a hard look. "You'd say it was alright and we'd be one big happy family all over again?"

"I could help you, Harry," she replied harshly.

"Well, I'm not hiding anything so I don't know why you are so fixated on this!"

"Harry, I'm not as stupid as you think. I can tell that something is going on."

"And why is that? Because you just can't accept the fact that maybe I'm just not happy!"

"No, I _know_ you are not telling me something!"

Harry just scoffed and rolled his eyes again, always back to the same argument. She just wouldn't let it go. "Why can't you let this go, Ginny? Why?"

"I want to know, Harry," she said harshly. "You need to tell me."

"I don't need to do anything," Harry replied shortly.

"You need to be honest with your wife!"

"Honest!" Harry repeated incredulously. "I--I don't even know what to say to that."

"Just tell me the truth!" she exclaimed.

"There's nothing to tell!" Harry yelled, his temper getting the better of him. He hated these stupid repetitive fights. They never got anywhere and always ended in shouting.

"Stop lying to me, Harry!"

"I'm not the one who's lying! I just can't take this anymore!"

He strode back into the kitchen and grabbed his wand off the kitchen counter. He stormed back out into the living room where Ginny was standing in shock, glaring at Harry.

He primly ignored her and walked past her and out the door before Apparating away. He appeared in front of a rather large house. He strode up to the door and knocked loudly.

It was pulled open seconds later and a head poked out curiously.

"Potter!"

_

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A/N: Yay :) so please review!_


	36. A Turning Point

**Chapter Thirty-six: A Turning Point**

"Malfoy," Harry said, sliding in the open door and into the well-lit entrance way.

"Potter, what are you doing here?" Draco drawled, surprised to find him on his doorstep.

He could see Harry was rethinking his decision as he stood in front of him, the door still open behind him.

"Well, Ginny was yelling and all I could think was that I wanted to get out of there, and then she kept accusing me of lying which is stupid because she's doing the exact same thing! And then I thought that I couldn't tell her what I knew and all I could do was let her yell at me, but then I thought that I didn't have to. So I left but then I realized I didn't have anywhere to go! Hermione's not home, off somewhere with Blaise, I dunno. And Ron is so busy with Pansy that I just didn't want interrupt them and I--"

He was cut off as a hand clamped over his mouth. He looked up at Draco questioningly.

"Potter," Draco said firmly. "Shut up."

He lowered the hand slowly and Harry nodded, taking a breath to calm himself.

"Right, sorry," Harry apologized. "You know, I shouldn't have come here at all. I'm sorry, I'll just go," he said, turning back to the front door but Draco caught his arm.

"Come in, Potter," he sighed, pushing Harry towards the living room. He shut the door behind Harry as he walked dazedly into the other room.

Harry walked over to the couch and sat down on it jerkily. He didn't know exactly why he had picked Draco's house to go to, but it had been the first thing to come to mind and he had somehow ended up on the front doorstep.

"So, Potter," Draco said slowly, sitting down next to him. "Why are you here again?"

"I got in another fight with Ginny," Harry sighed, not looking at him, but running his finger over the pattern on the couch.

"About what?" Draco asked, kicking himself for asking more about his life. He didn't need to know. This was not supposed to happen. He already knew he was feeling things he wasn't supposed to with Harry and it had to stop.

"She accused me of keeping something from her," Harry muttered darkly. "Which I suppose is true, but it's not like she's not doing the exact same thing!"

"What?" Draco asked, confused.

"She's cheating on me," Harry sighed again, still focused on the couch.

"Why?! You're Harry Potter. Who would cheat on you?"

Harry looked up and gave him a withering look. "Just because I'm Harry Potter does not mean I'm not human. It is possible for people not to care about me. I should know," he added in a mutter, thinking about his childhood with the Dursley's.

Draco had an odd expression on his face as he watched Harry, who went back to tracing the pattern on the couch. It was a mixture of confusion and interest.

"Is that why you wanted to do this so badly?" he asked shrewdly, and Harry looked up sharply.

"What?"

"This, is that why?" Draco repeated.

"I guess," Harry said, shrugging and lowering his gaze once more, "I don't really know anymore."

Draco watched as Harry looked sadly at the couch, his finger running over the pattern on it. Draco's eyebrows were furrowed as he thought about what Harry had said.

Finally, Draco grabbed Harry's wrist and stilled it. Harry raised his eyes slowly to Draco's and Draco could see the worry and sadness behind the glittering, green eyes.

He stood up from the couch, still gripping Harry's arm. Harry was forced to his feet, still watching Draco uncertainly. Draco's hand slid down from his wrist to grab Harry's hand. He began tugging him up the stairs.

Harry followed slowly, wondering what Draco was thinking. They went up the stairs and down the hallway to the end to Draco's bedroom. Draco pushed open the door and led Harry inside.

Once they were inside, Draco dropped Harry's hand and slid his arms around Harry's neck, kissing him softly. The kiss turned from sweet to needy in a matter of seconds. Draco allowed Harry to take control of the kiss, pushing his tongue past the blonde's lips and into his hot mouth.

They stumbled backward until they hit the bed, but they didn't fall back. Harry was kissing Draco furiously, letting out all his emotions, anger at Ginny, need for Draco.

Draco's hand slid up into Harry's thick, messy hair and tangled itself into the dark locks. He felt Harry's hand come up to caress his back. Draco let out a low moan into Harry's mouth as the kiss continued hungrily.

Draco broke it breathlessly and pulled away from a panting Harry. He backed slowly to the bed and crawled on it, lying on his back. Harry looked down at him, confusion etched on his face.

"Malfoy, what are you--?"

"I'm giving you an opportunity, Potter," Draco said, still panting from the kiss. "If I were you, I would take it while it stands."

Harry hesitated, knowing he may never get that opportunity again with the blond. He moved slowly over to the bed and carefully climbed on top of Draco. He settled himself comfortably in between the blonde's legs, feeling his erection nestled into his own.

He bit his lip to suppress a groan as Draco angled his hips upward, pressing his erection into Harry's teasingly.

"Come on, Harry," he whispered challengingly. He barely noticed that he'd used Harry's name. It just came so naturally.

Harry's eyes darkened with lust at the whispered challenge. He quickly removed his pants with a spell of his own and Draco's as well. His hands grazed against Draco's thigh as they ran up and under his tee shirt. He pulled the shirt over Draco's head in one semi-smooth moment.

He pulled his own off with some difficulty, scowling as he heard Draco laughing lightly at his trouble. He threw it violently to the side when he finally got it off and glared at Draco.

Draco reached up and ran his fingers over Harry's cheek, giving him a small smile. Harry's glare slowly melted from his face as he leaned in closer to the blond, smelling his unique cologne. He ran his tongue over his neck experimentally.

He was rewarded by a low moan that spurred him. He began to suck on the pale skin, nipping lightly. In response, Draco arched his body, throwing his erection once again into contact with Harry's already throbbing member.

Harry gasped at the contact then kissed Draco's neck quickly. He fluttered kisses up Draco's jaw line and up to his mouth before capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. Harry thrust his tongue hungrily in the blonde's mouth, desperate to taste him.

He bit down on Draco's lip, causing a surprised gasp of pain and pleasure in one. Draco's hands were running over his muscular shoulders, his fingernails occasionally catching on the skin, sending jolts of electricity through Harry's body.

Harry pulled out of the kiss slowly, gazing down at Draco who made the perfect picture underneath him; hair askew, lips red and full, his cheeks pink and flushed.

"What?" Draco asked him. "Fuck, Harry, let's go."

Harry hesitated for a second before reaching down and digging for his wand in the pile of clothes. He found it and pulled it out. He muttered a lubricant spell and watched as Draco's body arched off the bed.

He paused once more, unsure of what to do. He had never done this before. Draco seemed to sense his hesitation. He pulled Harry in close for a kiss.

"Just go slow," he whispered against Harry's lips. Harry nodded nervously and moved back.

He pushed a finger into Draco's opening, feeling the muscles clench tightly down on it. He wiggled it around slightly as Draco had always done before. He looked up as Draco gave a low moan.

He added a second finger, hoping he was doing it right. He pushed it in as deep as it would go, brushing against a bundle of muscles within Draco that caused the blond to cry out in pleasure. He scissored the two, stretching the opening as much as he could, fearful of hurting Draco.

"Okay, okay," Draco gasped as Harry continued to move his fingers. "That's enough, just fuck me!"

Harry shivered at Draco's words, loving how they issued from his mouth. He removed his fingers, placing the head of his leaking cock at the base of Draco's entrance.

He nudged it in slowly, still uneasy about the whole thing. He gasped as Draco's muscles tightened around his cock as he slid it in further. Once he was fully sheathed in Draco's tight body, he stopped, trying to gain his breath back.

Draco shifted impatiently, shoving his body harder against Harry's member.

"Harry," he said threateningly. "If you don't move in about five seconds I'm going to finish this off myself!"

Harry nodded and swallowed hard. He pulled out of Draco slightly before sliding back in carefully. Draco gave a groan and Harry pulled out again, this time moving faster and harder as he thrust back into Draco's body.

Harry leaned forward to change the angle of his thrusts and slammed back into Draco's receptive body, his hips slamming upward to meet Harry thrust for thrust. Harry leaned into Draco's neck as he pushed his body in more forcefully.

His hot breath came in puffs over Draco's neck, driving him delirious.

"Ohhhhh, Draco," Harry moaned as he drove in again, Draco's muscles tightening over his cock deliciously.

Draco shuddered as Harry moaned his name in his ear. The sound of it just rolled perfectly off his tongue. Draco turned his head to the side and caught Harry's mouth in a fiery kiss.

Harry groaned into the kiss as he continued to thrust into Draco's body, slamming against his prostate, causing Draco to break the kiss with a sharp gasp of pleasure.

Harry could feel himself nearing his climax as Draco's muscles contracted tightly over his cock, driving him wild with pleasure. With one last thrust he came, hard, inside Draco's body.

He shut his eyes as an explosion took place somewhere in his body, shooting wave after wave of heat through his body as he came to a climax. As it ended he was unable to hold himself up any longer and collapsed on top of Draco who had also cum some moments ago. Harry had barely noticed in the heat of the moment.

He lay on top of Draco until he regained enough strength to roll off to the side, removing himself from Draco's body slowly. He laid on the silk sheets staring up at the canopy that hung over the bed.

He wasn't quite sure what had happened. He knew that Draco didn't relinquish power easily. He glanced over to where Draco was lying, still panting slightly from their actions.

"Malfoy?" he asked quietly, reverting back to his surname. Draco looked over at him.

"What, Potter?"

"Why did you--?" Harry asked, not finishing the sentence, but letting it hang.

Draco propped himself up on his arm and looked over at Harry, who had also sat up halfway.

"Didn't you like it?" he asked, smirking.

Harry frowned, this not being the reaction he had expected. "Well, yeah," he said slowly.

"Then don't question a good thing," Draco drawled. He turned and got off the bed, gathering his clothes and slipping back into them.

Harry stayed on the bed for the moment, watching him, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought back to his conversation with Hermione.

"Draco," Harry said, and Draco stopped suddenly, his shirt in his hand.

He turned around slowly to look at Harry. "Why did you call me that?" he asked.

Harry ignored the question but slipped off the bed and approached him carefully. "Draco, how do you feel?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I... I just want to know what you think... about us," Harry said slowly and unsurely. He bit his lip as

Draco paused, his eyebrows knitted together in thought. "You're married, Potter," he said finally.

"So? I just want to know."

"Fine, if you want to know, I think you're not half-bad. Sure your morals are a bit screwed up, but whose aren't? I also think that this decision is not up to me. I'm not the one with a wife."

Harry didn't say anything for a moment. He stood there for so long that Draco sighed. He walked closer to him and gave him a light kiss.

"I have to go, Potter. Stay here if you want, but make up your mind."

With another quick kiss, Draco left the room, pulling on his shirt. He walked down to the living room, informed the head house-elf that Harry was there, then Disapparated.

He Apparated in front of Pansy's house and knocked on the door, waiting impatiently for it to open. Finally, it was pulled open by Pansy. She invited him in and they went into the living room, sitting down in a couple of chairs by the fireplace.

"What did you do now?" Pansy asked immediately.

Instead of scowling, Draco just sighed. "I told Harry he had to make a decision."

"Harry, now, is he?" she asked interestedly.

"Not to his face," Draco muttered, and Pansy smirked.

"Have you told him you loved him?"

"What?!" Draco asked alarmed. "Who ever said that?"

"Well, no one, but it's kind of obvious."

"Well, I don't," he said plainly, clearing taken by shock by the very suggestion. He had never given it that much thought.

"Alright, alright," she said, "but you told him kind of how you feel, right?"

"Sort of..." Draco said, shrugging.

Pansy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "How do you want this to end?" she asked him.

"I don't know," Draco said. "It's not like I've really thought about it. I guess in a perfect situation, his wife would die and he would be with me." He gave Pansy a smirk.

"It's unlikely she's going to die, so then what?" Pansy asked.

"Then he's just going to have to decide."

"And you're hoping he chooses you, right?"

"Of course!" Draco exclaimed. "What else would I want?"

"Well, good," she said calmly.

Draco just rolled his eyes and stood up from the couch. "As much help as you have been," he said sarcastically. "I need to be alone."

She smiled at him supportively and also rose from the couch. She walked him to the door. Just before opening it, she stopped him. "Don't worry, whatever happens, it will be for the best."

He gave her a small smile then opened the door. On his way down the path, he nearly ran into Ron coming up it the other way.

"Watch it, Weasel," he snarled as he pushed past. Ron frowned as Draco walked to the end of the walk and Disapparated. He continued on his way up the path and into the house, the door snapping shut behind him.

_

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A/N: Oh my, the pieces are falling... tumbling into place with each new chapter... Please review!_


	37. Determining the Truth

**Chapter Thirty-seven: Determining the Truth**

Ron walked into the living room where Pansy had just sat down on the sofa once more and was contemplating Draco's words to her.

"Ron!" she said, pleasantly surprised.

He smiled at her and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek before sitting down next to her on the couch. She snuggled into his side, sighing contentedly.

"Was Malfoy just here?" he asked, running a hand absent-mindedly through her hair.

"Yeah," she replied lazily, staring into the fire grate and reflecting on their conversation. She knew Draco had had feelings for Harry and she had finally gotten him to admit them at least a little bit.

"What did he want?" Ron pressed. Something about how Draco had looked when he left hadn't seemed right to him.

"He just comes to talk once in a while," Pansy said, shrugging.

Ron's eyebrows furrowed as he continued to stroke her hair. "Is that it? 'Cause he didn't seem particularly happy when I saw him."

"Well, he's got a lot on his mind," Pansy said simply.

"Really? Like what?" Ron asked interestedly.

Pansy seemed to have realized what she said and sat up a little straighter. "Oh, nothing," she said, waving it away as though it wasn't important.

"Pansy," Ron said slowly. "What did you mean?"

Pansy sighed, knowing she had done it this time. She'd managed to keep it from Ron these past four months but it looked like she had finally slipped up.

"Now, Ron," she said carefully. "You have to promise me you won't get mad--"

"Why would I be mad?" he interrupted her.

She gave him a stern look and he fell silent. "And you have to promise me you won't go storming out this door to kill someone."

Ron paused, clearly considering the situation. "Alright..." he agreed slowly, eyeing her carefully. She sat up from his body and moved away slightly. He was watching her with a confused expression on his face.

"Alright, well..." Pansy paused, thinking how best to word it. Any way, Ron would be furious. "Harry and Draco, well, they've been... I mean, they-- They've just..."

"What, Pansy?" Ron asked pressingly.

"Okay, they've been _involved_ lately."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that instead of fighting, they've been... you know," she said with a suggestive glance at Ron.

Ron, who had looked confused, got a look of dawning comprehension on his face. He stared wide-eyed at Pansy who grimaced, waiting for the explosion.

"What?!" he exclaimed in barely more than a whisper. "But how?! Harry hates Malfoy!"

"I guess not anymore," Pansy said quietly, still watching him closely.

"I'm gonna kill him!" Ron yelled, rising from the couch.

Pansy also jumped up. "No! You promised me you wouldn't!"

"I don't care! Malfoy is messing with my friend! Harry is married! Doesn't he care about that?!"

"I think there's more to it, Ron," Pansy said, trying to placate him.

"What's there to be to it?!" he exclaimed. "Malfoy is obviously manipulating him! There's no way Harry would do that! I mean, I know things aren't great with Ginny, but he wouldn't."

"But he is," Pansy said quietly.

"No!" Ron shouted. "I'm gonna kill Malfoy!"

"Ron, you can't," Pansy said harshly.

"Why not?!"

"One, you promised me, and two, you can't kill someone without knowing the whole story."

"Yes, I can!"

"No, Ron, you can't. Just sit down, and I'll tell you the rest," she said, trying to calm him.

He sat, though very unwillingly. "Alright," he said darkly, "tell me the rest so I can go kill him."

"Well, it started out just Draco wanting to mess around with Harry's head. And now it's kind of progressed to where they have feelings for each other. Of course, they won't quite admit it yet, but I can tell."

Ron was silent, a shocked look on his face. "But... but... but Harry's married. He cheated on Ginny? With Malfoy?!"

Pansy reached over and set a hand over his and squeezed it reassuringly. She gave him a sad smile. "I'm sure there was a good reason, honey," she said softly.

Ron shook his head wordlessly for a minute. "Yeah, maybe he figured out Ginny's cheating on him as well," he muttered.

"What?" Pansy asked.

"Yeah," he sighed, "I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but why else would he do it? He's never been with anyone but Ginny. He loved her. Their marriage wasn't great and I know Harry tried to fix it; I just never thought he would resort to this."

"If it makes you feel any better, I think Draco actually cares about him, as much as he would like to deny it."

"Not really," Ron sighed, standing up from the couch. "I think I need to be alone to think about this."

Pansy hesitated as he walked toward the door.

She followed him quickly and stopped him just before he left. "As long as you're not going to kill anyone," she said, looking at him closely.

He gave her a small smile and laughed. "Nah, I won't. I did promise after all."

Pansy smiled at him lovingly and gave him a quick kiss before he left her.

OoOoO

Ginny sat on the couch uneasily, whipping around to stare at the door whenever any sound could be heard. She sighed in annoyance as she turned around once again, this time it being one of the neighbor's doors.

It had been several hours since Harry's disappearance. She didn't know where he was and trying to track him was useless. He knew better than anyone how to cloak himself.

She wanted desperately to know what was going on. Her weekend away had done nothing for her, only serving to enrage her further by the fact that no one was talking.

She was sure that someone had to know what was happening. She couldn't possibly have been the only person that had noticed something wrong with him! No, there was something bigger going on here that no one was talking about.

Ginny growled to herself as she sat on the couch, arms folded tightly across her chest. Maybe if she hadn't pushed so hard for the truth, there could have been a way of finding out on her own. She could have wormed her way in and found out then.

_Veritaserum,_ she thought. _That's what I should have used. He'd probably expect that now, though. Plus, he can sense a concealed potion miles away._

One of the downfalls of having married Harry Potter was that it was no use to try to trick him. He knew every trick in the book, was trained in fighting the dark arts, and very accomplished with a wand. The war had done wonders for him. Unfortunately, it was useless to Ginny.

It made it nearly impossible for anything to slip past him unnoticed. This was why she took so much pride in her affair. She had managed to hide it from Harry for the past year and a half. Harry didn't have a clue that she snuck out when he was at practice to meet her lover.

Ginny liked the fact that she could outsmart him at least with that little tidbit. She knew adultery was wrong, but somehow she didn't care.

When she had been younger, she had been obsessed with Harry Potter, cutting out pictures of him from every paper or magazine that she could get her hands on, plastering them over her wall and hero-worshipping them.

At school she had been even more taken with him. He was always nice and polite to everyone, even her, though she was just a stupid little kid. When they had finally gotten together, she had been ecstatic.

It hadn't lasted long as the war had torn them apart. When Harry had come back after being gone for a long time and proposed, she had been flying. She thought that all her dreams had come true; she had gotten her Prince Charming.

Though it had been a long engagement, they had finally gotten married just a few years prior. Ginny had felt it was a culmination in her life and everything would be perfect. It hadn't been, though. It was not the fairy tale life she had envisioned.

Harry was just a normal guy, she had found out. He was good-looking, yes, and always nice, but not what she had been picturing. Everywhere they went, she was pushed to the side as Harry was surrounded by fans, pushing for his autograph, a photograph, anything. She was shunted away to watch from the outside.

That was why she had started her little affair. She wanted something that was her own, that nobody could take away from her. She loved the fact that Harry didn't know. It was something to keep for herself.

Her new lover was attentive and loving. He didn't care that she was Harry Potter's wife. He cared for her.

She didn't feel bad about it either. He got to have his fun being the celebrity and playing Quidditch, she got to escape from her world while he was away.

Of course, it wasn't all bad being married to Harry. She received his money and much publicity of her own. If he ever found out about her affair, she knew he would be furious. She realized she may have been overcompensating in the past few months by fighting with him so much. She was just frightened that he would find someone better like she had. If that happened, she would be out in the cold. She knew fighting wasn't the answer but it was all she could think to do.

Ginny glanced once more at the clock, noting that it was nearly six in the evening.

_Where did he go?!_ she wondered, annoyed. _Probably off doing whatever his little secret is._

She glared at the clock as though it was at fault for Harry's absence. She huffed and turned back around, facing the empty fire grate.

_Why isn't he home yet? What can he possibly be doing?!_

She didn't go into depths of trying to figure it out though. She had done enough thinking over the weekend and was sick of trying. Without any help, she was at a loss to even start to guess.

_Oh, I can't take this,_ she thought to herself, standing up. _I need a drink._

She walked over to the door and pulled her coat off the rack, putting it on and heading out to find the nearest pub.

_

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A/N: Holy crap guys. Only one more monday and I'm free of school! Ahh, I love the sound of that. Anyway, please review! ohh, the next chapter is a doozie ;)_


	38. Third Time's the Charm

**Chapter Thirty-eight: Third Time's the Charm**

"It's over."

"What?"

"I told someone..."

"Who?"

"... Ron..."

"You told him?! He'll tell everyone!"

"No, he won't! I trust him."

"Sure, you do. Just wait until everyone knows then we'll see how much you trust him."

"Hey, I had to tell him. But it should be okay as long as you didn't tell."

"..."

"Oh no! You told!"

"I couldn't help it! Hermione would have figured it out anyway." Blaise scowled at Pansy as she gaped at him.

"And here you were, yelling at me for telling my fiancé," she said darkly.

Blaise sighed and rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter. Either way, practically everyone knows now except those three," he said, referring to Harry, Draco, and Ginny.

"I knew this would happen," Pansy muttered, shaking her head. She sighed as she looked away from where Blaise sat on her couch. She had called him as soon as Ron had left.

Outside the sky was falling darker. She only hoped that Ron was keeping his promise and not killing anyone. She hated to think what Draco's house would be like if she went there tomorrow and found out Ron had paid him a visit.

"Well, it's too late to stop it now," Blaise said. "We should have done it when we had the chance."

"Yes, but now Draco's having feelings and I just... I just don't know what to do."

"Wait, feelings?" Blaise asked interestedly. "Since when?"

"Oh, I don't know," Pansy sighed. "Not too long. He just barely admitted it today."

"This is just wonderful!" Blaise exclaimed sarcastically. "Does he realize how much trouble he's causing?"

"I really don't think he even cares, Blaise," Pansy said. "I think he just wants what he wants. You know he always gets what he wants no matter what it takes to get it."

"So what is going to happen then? Potter is still married, regardless, and Draco can't just expect him to leave his wife, can he?"

"It's not impossible," Pansy said. "After all, he and I divorced and now I'm engaged to Ron."

"But you weren't having an affair right under his nose..." He trailed off as Pansy gave him a look. "Oh, right, you were."

"Look, that's not the point," Pansy interjected. "I think we can't do anything about this so it might just be best to step out, let Draco figure out what he wants and what he's going to do about it."

Blaise sighed, looking uneasy, but in the end agreed that it wasn't necessary for them to become any more involved than they already were.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said sighing.

"Of course I'm right. Now, would you like something to eat?"

Blaise smiled at her and followed her into her kitchen to find something to satisfy his stomach.

OoOoO

Ginny pushed open the door to the bar, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the dirt on the floor and grime on the windows. She picked her way gingerly through the tables and up to the bar where she sat herself primly on one of the chairs.

"What can I getcha?" the barkeep asked, walking over to her, cleaning a glass.

"I'll have anything that will make me forget," she said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. The man nodded and went away to fetch her something.

She looked around the place in distaste, wondering why she had chosen this particular bar. It was close, that was why.

She sighed and turned back to the bar where the bartender had just deposited a glass of amber-looking liquid down in front of her. She sniffed it carefully before taking a sip. She grimaced at the taste but took another drink anyway.

"I'll tell you when I've had 'nuff!" A slurring voice cut through the room and Ginny's attention was brought to the end of the bar where a red-haired man sat at the counter, hunched over his drink as though it needed protection. Ginny's eyebrows knitted together, and her mouth dropped open.

She grabbed her drink and moved to the chair next to the man. "Ron?" she asked carefully.

"Ginny!" he greeted her, a little over-enthusiastically. "How're you?" he slurred.

"I'm fine," she replied slowly. "Are you fine?"

"'Course I'm fine!" he exclaimed, grinning at her, his unfocused eyes looking over her shoulder. "Why wouldn't I be? Hey! That's mine!" he growled at the bartender who had just walked by. He pulled his drink closer to him and glared at the man until he moved back down the counter. "This bloke's always tryin' to take my drink," he said, indicating the bartender, who just rolled his eyes and continued cleaning the bar.

Ginny looked at her brother in pity and considered just taking him home. "Why are you here?" she asked, wondering what could make him get this drunk on a Sunday night.

Ron looked around carefully, giving the couple at a table nearby a suspicious look before leaning in closely to Ginny.

"Ya haven't heard?" he whispered, slurring his words together. Ginny shook her head. Ron looked around again carefully as though making sure no one was listening. "Ginny's not here, is she?"

Ginny looked taken aback. Didn't he realize who she was? She decided to just let him get to the point.

"No, she's not," she told him.

Ron nodded and seemingly couldn't stop himself for a few minutes. "Okay, okay, I'll tell," he whispered in a low voice, still looking around him for conspirators. "Righ', well, I jus' found som'in' out," he slurred, having trouble focusing on her.

"What?" she asked pressingly.

"'Kay, see my sis-ster and Harry're not really gettin' 'along, see?" he said, taking another gulp of his drink. "An' I know, I know it mus' be a'cause Ginny cheated on 'im."

"And?" Ginny prodded him onward, wondering what this had to do with anything. He had known of her affair for many months now.

"And well, you know," Ron said, becoming distracted by a shimmering light on the wall behind the bar. Ginny looked at him impatiently, waiting for him to go on.

"Ron," she said sharply, pulling his attention back to her.

"Right', well, you know I love Ginny, an', an' she can be good, you know... sometimes," he said, looking back into his drink and swirling around the content at the bottom.

"Uh huh..." Ginny said slowly, not liking what he was saying.

"Yeah," Ron sighed. "I guess tha's why."

"Why what?"

"I love Ginny, you know? An' I want her to be happy. I wan' her to have stuff, have love, money, all tha' stuff," Ron slurred, swaying slightly on his stool. Ginny quickly put up a hand to steady him, pushing him upright.

"Okay," she said, prompting him forward.

"Bu' she's so _mean_ sometimes. I dunno how she got like that! I can see why Harry ge's upset! She didn't used to be like that."

Ginny scowled as she listened to her brother describe her.

"Then she cheats on'im. An' he's not bad guy, you know?" he asked, looking imploringly at her. "He's good. He done lots of stuff! I dunno why she did it. I guess she just doesn' care."

Ron sighed sadly and looked down at his drink that was now empty. He looked up, annoyed. "Hey! I'm empty! Gimme another!"

"Ron, I don't think you need anymore," Ginny said, trying to tug the glass out of his hand but he wouldn't let it go.

"No, no, no!" he protested. "I's mine!"

She sighed and allowed him to pull it back to himself protectively. The bartender just slid another glass down the counter, and Ron snatched it up as though he was afraid Ginny would take it away.

"So what did you find out?" she asked, trying to get back to the main reason for the conversation in the first place.

"Oh, right," he said, taking a drink of his fresh glass. "So Ginny don' care and I'm tryin' not to tell anyone 'bout her, and so I dinnint even notice Harry was doin' sumpin'."

"Doing something?" Ginny asked eagerly, scooting forward on her chair. Maybe this was finally what she'd been waiting for.

"Yeah, just found out today," Ron slurred sarcastically, toasting his glass to no one and taking another long drink.

"What, what?" Ginny pressed, now nearly falling off her chair in eagerness.

"Well, see, Harry, he wasn't happy. An' I can see why, you know? Ginny's not exactically the bes' wife or person, and I can see why he'd needa do this. I jus' don't understand why he chose that."

"What?" Ginny whispered, eager with anticipation.

Ron heaved a huge sigh and drained the last of his glass once more. He set the heavy glass down on the countertop. "He's havin' an affair," he said sadly.

Ginny sat back in complete shock. For a moment she said nothing, trying to absorb the shock. "What?" she whispered in horror.

"Yeah," Ron sighed. "You just find out too?"

Ginny didn't say anything, only nodded dumbly.

"Can't believe it," Ron slurred, taking no notice of her silence. "And of all people," he said, blinking tiredly. "Why he hadda pick Malfoy, I'll never know."

"Malfoy?" Ginny repeated.

"Uh huh," Ron replied, his mouth going slightly slack. "An' ya know what else?"

"What?" she asked reluctantly, wondering how much more there could be.

Ron looked around surreptitiously then leaned in close to her. "Pansy dyes her hair," he whispered conspiratorially. "She's act'lly blonde!"

"What?" Ginny asked, confused why that had anything to do with anything.

"Yeah," Ron whispered, wide-eyed. "I can' believe it. She's blonde and Harrry an' Malfoy're sleepin' together. Stupid... low-down... evil little... git..."

Ron slowed down as sleep started to overtake him. He lay his head down on his hands and was out in a matter of seconds.

Ginny turned back to the counter, grabbing her drink and emptying its contents in one gulp. She winced at the taste and stared at the wood on the counter.

Beside her, Ron gave a loud snore and she looked over at him. She stared unseeingly at his body as he snoozed on the counter.

She turned back to the bar and ordered another drink, downing it as soon as it reached her fingers.

* * *

A/N: Some potential bad news...I may not be able to post this for up to two weeks. I will try my hardest and if the hotels get internet, I will do my best. So please review! And you have my promise that if internet is available on Mondays, you will get the next chapters :D


	39. The Last Piece of the Puzzle

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Last Piece of the Puzzle**

"It's going well."

"You mastermind, you. Such a little planner."

"It's all working how we planned, though."

"Almost. Potter is still the extenuating factor."

"No worries there. He's fallen, hard. Now just to finish up."

"I say we have a drink to celebrate."

"Yes, let's."

OoOoO

Harry soared impatiently over the heads of his teammates, staring down at the stands where Draco's shiny blonde hair could be seen. He sighed to himself and made another circle of the pitch, hoping practice would be over soon.

He had stayed at Draco's house sometime after he had left the day before, wrestling with his thoughts. When Draco hadn't returned, Harry had decided to leave. He needed some time to himself anyway to figure out exactly what it was he wanted.

He had gone to a deserted park he knew and sat for many hours. After a long time of watching the trees rustle in the cool, mid-winter breeze, Harry had made some sense of everything.

He had finally returned to the apartment only to find it empty. Ginny had left without a note or any kind of alert as to her whereabouts. Harry didn't think too much into it, deciding it was better to be ignorant than know everything. After all, ignorance is bliss.

Ginny had not returned at all the entire night, though Harry couldn't have cared less. He had been much too preoccupied to bother with where she might be and what she might be doing.

He had awoken that morning to a silent house once more. She still hadn't returned and he didn't question. He had gotten ready for work and gone off without a second thought.

When he had arrived at the pitch, his heart had jumped at the sight of Draco waiting to watch the practice. He hadn't been able to speak with him as Wood had shoved them off into the air immediately.

Now Harry was circling the pitch, only half-heartedly looking for the Snitch. His mind was instead focused on just what he was going to say to Draco once he was back on the ground.

He soared past Michael who smiled at him nicely. Harry was far too preoccupied to even think about Michael's previous involvement.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw a glint of gold flittering over by the visiting team's goal post. He turned his broom sharply and made a soaring dive, arm outstretched for the tiny ball of gold. He caught it with ease and rose upward quickly. The Snitch struggled against Harry's grip fruitlessly.

Harry looked around for Wood to see how much longer they had to stay in the air when a whistle sounded. Harry let out an audible sigh of relief as they drifted down to land in the middle of the pitch.

Wood went off into his normal list of things they did wrong and Harry allowed his attention to wander. Draco was walking slowly toward the group, not in any hurry.

"Harry." Wood's voice cut through Harry's head. "Harry, are you paying attention?"

"What?" Harry asked distractedly, looking to Wood. He was now alone with Wood, the rest of the team had left.

"You seemed really distracted today," Wood said seriously, "in fact, a lot lately. I don't want to lose you but Malfoy might not be so lenient. I know you're having some problems at home, but try not to bring them to the pitch, okay?"

Harry nodded, averting his eyes. He felt bad for letting his personal problems affect his job. He knew that he should dedicate concentration to flying and not get so distracted but it had just been so difficult lately.

Wood looked at him closely before nodding and turning away to go to his office. Harry sighed as Wood walked away.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt someone's arms sliding around his waist and a purring voice in his ear.

"What was that, Potter?" Draco asked quietly. "Getting reprimanded for your lack of attention?"

Harry turned around, giving Draco a half-smile. "I'd be paying attention if you weren't so distracting," he said, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

Draco drew away and smirked at him. "I guess I am rather distracting," he drawled self-importantly and Harry laughed. Draco's expression changed then to one of seriousness. "So, Potter, you weren't there when I came back. Did you come up with anything?"

Harry sighed, steeling himself. He had spent all of yesterday afternoon and night thinking about what he wanted. He knew that the "right" thing to do would be to stick with Ginny no matter what. Despite her faults, Harry had married her. He had taken the vows to love and honor her. Unfortunately, that wasn't exactly how it had gone.

Additionally, he knew that leaving Ginny would be horrible for his reputation. He could just see the _Prophet_ headlines now, "Potter leaves wife for Malfoy heir." Even though Hermione was the editor, she couldn't keep everything nasty about him off the front page, especially when it was true.

But he also knew that his happiness was at stake. Ginny obviously didn't care about him anymore. She was having an affair behind his back. Who knew how long that had been going on! Draco was offering something he might never get again, a chance to get out of the life he had been thrown into, to break the mold, to live again.

As he stood looking at Draco, he wondered what would happen if he didn't take this chance. He would be stuck in an unhappy marriage for the rest of his life. Draco was the only person who'd ever made him feel as if he was truly alive. He knew the blond wasn't likely to ever offer this again; it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Draco waited impatiently for Harry to say something as they stood in the middle of the pitch, the cold January air whipping around them. His heart was beating quickly as it rose in his throat. He didn't know what Harry's decision would be. He had always been the type to do the right thing and choosing Draco was certainly not the right thing.

"Draco," Harry said finally, looking up at the blond, "I've been thinking, a lot, about this."

Draco was silent. He didn't know what that meant and so decided to remain quiet as Harry continued.

"And I know that it seems wrong," he said slowly, "and I almost wish it hadn't happened."

Draco felt his throat tightening at those words but remained silent. He wasn't going to say anything until Harry had made himself clear.

"You're so different," Harry said, holding his gaze, "so different from Ginny. I know it's only been a few months but with you, it's just... different."

Draco wasn't sure if that was a good thing but continued to keep his silence.

"Last night I sat under this willow tree for three hours, and all I could think was how similar you are to that tree. Every time the wind hits the branches; you don't know which way they're going to go. It's kind of exciting to wonder which way they'll swing, what will happen. With Ginny it's always the same, but you're not the same."

Again Draco was silent. The tree metaphor took some figuring out to determine if it was good or not, and he was still thinking about it as Harry continued.

"Your intentions probably weren't good when you started this," Harry said, watching as Draco made a motion of agreement, "but I think they've changed. I don't even want to know why you did this in the first place. It's not important to me. What is important is why you're doing it now."

Draco looked at Harry, trying to figure out where he was going with this. He still couldn't figure out what Harry had decided.

"Draco," Harry said, stepping closer, "I know I should stay with Ginny. I should go home and apologize and forget about all of this."

Draco looked up at him, a worried expression on his face. He quickly masked it as Harry glanced at him.

"But I won't."

Draco's expression turned to one of surprise and flustered shock. He gaped at Harry, who gave him a small smile.

"I don't want to go back to that. I want this. I want you." Harry looked at Draco hopefully. He had agonized over this decision for hours last night and all this morning. He only hoped Draco felt the same.

Draco was rooted to the spot as Harry's words sunk into his frozen brain. He had never actually imagined that Harry wouldn't take the right path and go back to his wife. He had thought about this situation briefly but hadn't imagined it might come true.

He was quiet for so long that Harry began to get worried. He looked at him carefully, wondering what he was thinking.

"Draco?" he asked nervously. Draco seemed to jerk back at Harry's voice.

He paused then smirked at Harry. He walked up to him, sliding his arms around Harry's neck and over his shoulders.

"Well, Potter, looks like you finally made a good decision," he drawled, smirking at Harry. He leaned forward and captured Harry's lips in a breath-taking kiss.

Harry moaned slightly as Draco slid his tongue into his mouth, caressing his mouth, massaging his tongue. Draco pulled away at length and gave Harry a rare true smile.

"Good job, Harry," he whispered, actually using Harry's name. He gave him another soft kiss and Harry smiled when it was broken.

"But, wait," Harry said softly, "we can't tell anyone yet. I don't want to just dump it on Ginny. I know she's been awful, but I want to let her down easy. Let's just go slow."

Draco paused, giving Harry a suspicious look then smirked at him once more. "Fine," he said, leaning in to whisper against Harry's lips. "But do it soon, Potter."

Harry grinned as Draco kissed him once more in the middle of the Quidditch pitch.

OoOoO

"Ohh," Ron groaned as he pushed himself off the mattress. He winced as bright sunlight hit his eyes. He pushed himself over and into a sitting position, shielding his eyes from the sun.

Outside the window he could hear birds twittering and the sound was magnified ten times in his pounding head. He reached up and put a hand to his throbbing head, rocking back and forth slightly on the bed.

"Where am I?" he groaned to no one in particular.

"At home, in your bed," came a voice from the corner of the room.

Ron tried to open his eyes but winced as the sun hit them once again. He struggled for a moment then opened them carefully and slowly.

He turned his head away from the sun to look into his room. Over in an armchair in a corner sat the figure of a woman. She was shrouded in darkness despite the sun's intrusion in the room.

"Who is that?" he asked groggily, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his head.

"It's me," replied the voice coldly, "your sister."

"Ginny?" he asked, squinting and trying to see in the corner.

"Yes, Ginny," she replied harshly. She got up and stepped out of the shadows.

She looked angry, though Ron couldn't imagine why. She walked over and shut the curtains, blocking out the majority of the sun's rays. Ron blinked as the darkness cooled his head.

"How did I get here?" he asked slowly. He looked down at himself, finding that he was still fully clothed except his shoes that were sitting in a pile at the foot of the bed.

"I brought you home," Ginny huffed, digging in his closet. "You should be thanking me."

She threw a clean shirt and pair of pants at him and waited impatiently for him to change. She turned around as he changed into the pants and turned back around only when he proclaimed himself finished.

"How bad was I last night?" he asked apprehensively. He knew that he tended to get out-of-hand when drunk. It was things like that that caused him to let slip secrets.

"Oh, you were perfectly fine," Ginny replied sarcastically, "unless you count ruining my life!"

"What?" Ron asked, extremely confused.

"How long have you been keeping this from me?" she asked angrily, advancing on him where he still sat on his bed.

"Keeping what?" Ron asked again, still not understanding.

"Harry!" Ginny snarled, and Ron winced.

"Please, Ginny, can you keep it down? And what about Harry?"

Ginny's eyes flashed with fire as she glared at her brother. "He cheated on me! You told me last night!" she practically screeched and Ron grabbed his head.

"Ow! Oh no, Ginny, I-- Oh no," he said, shaking his head, his hands sliding up to cover his face as he did so. He realized now what he had said, what he had revealed.

"How could this happen, Ron?!" she yelled.

Ron gritted his teeth as the throbbing in his head increased. "Ginny, I'm s-- I didn't mean to..." He had almost said he was sorry, when, in fact, he wasn't really sorry at all. Maybe this would be a good thing. Maybe it would all be over.

Ron didn't exactly approve of Malfoy as Harry's choice but at least Harry had finally realized what Ron had been suspicious of all along. He supposed they would be happier apart than together. The marriage had changed them both. Ginny had become a mean, vindictive person, and Harry was constantly depressed.

"I can't believe this," Ginny snarled to herself. She had spent all night boiling on this point while Ron had slept off his alcohol.

After he had fallen asleep, she had taken it upon herself to bring him back to his house and watch over him for the time-being. It had given her a lot of time to think while really all she did was stew over Harry's tryst with Draco Malfoy.

It was almost impossible for her to imagine that Harry would pick Draco Malfoy. For one, she had never thought Harry to have feelings for the same sex. For another, hadn't they always been enemies?

She couldn't fathom why Harry had done this. He had never been the type to break loyalty. He was a Gryffindor through and through. Maybe the war had changed him more than she had known.

"Ginny," Ron's voice cut through her thoughts, "have you really thought about this?"

"What do you mean, 'have I thought about this'?!" she asked rhetorically. "Of course I have! Harry cheated on me, do you know what that means?!"

"Uh... no?" Ron asked, unsure.

"I was right all along! There _was_ something going on and everyone was lying to me!"

"Well, how do you know that?" Ron asked indignantly.

"You did," she replied scathingly.

"No, I didn't!" Ron exclaimed. "I just found out yesterday!"

"And who told you?" Ginny asked quickly, looking for someone to blame.

"Pansy," Ron said plainly.

"Oh," Ginny muttered. She couldn't blame Pansy. "Well, anyway, it doesn't matter. I was right! And Harry is going to pay!"

"W-wait!" Ron called as she yanked open the bedroom door and stormed out. He scrambled off the bed and ran out the door.

He caught up with her at the front door. She had her handle on the knob and was turning it as Ron ran up behind her.

"Ginny, you can't do this!" he said and she stopped, turning to him, her face angry and set.

"I can do whatever I want, Ron, so don't try to stop me."

She pulled open the front door with an angry yank and strode out and down the front walkway. Ron groaned as he watched her disappear in a crack into the bright sunlight.

He shut the door quietly, wishing he hadn't gone to that bar the night before. He shook his head despairingly before heading off to the kitchen to find a nice, strong hang-over potion.

_

* * *

A/N: Um hotel has internet! Next week, though, we might not get posted until Tuesday. So I did this for you... now you do something for me and review:)_


	40. A Culmination of Fire

**Chapter Forty: A Culmination of Fire**

Harry pushed open the door to his apartment with an elated smile on his face. The door shut with a click behind him as he practically drifted into the room. His heart felt as though a weight had been lifted.

He knew that it wasn't right to cheat on Ginny but with all that had happened and been done over the past few months, he couldn't help thinking that he was doing the right thing. Despite all her faults, Harry still felt that it would be cruel to leave her so abruptly. He planned on letting her down easily, telling her that the marriage wasn't working and he felt they needed a divorce.

He would be careful not to mention Draco at all costs. He knew an affair would not make her happy. She already suspected something anyway.

Harry went into the bedroom and changed into more comfortable clothes, jeans and a tee shirt. He slipped off his shoes and walked back out into the living room.

He was surprised to see Ginny standing in front of the couch, her arms crossed and glaring at him. He was taken-aback by her apparent anger and stopped just outside the bedroom door.

"Hi, Ginny," he greeted her carefully.

She didn't reply, only continued to glare at him as though he were the devil. He gave her a cautious look and edged forward, clearly unsure why she was so angry. He hadn't done anything that he could recall.

"Is everything okay?" he asked cautiously.

She uncrossed her arms and stuck them on her hips angrily. "I don't know," she said sarcastically, "is it?"

"Er..." Harry stalled, wondering what she was on about. "Yeah?"

Her eyes flashed angrily as he responded and she took a step toward him slowly. He kept a close eye on her as she moved slowly closer, stopping as she rounded the arm of the couch.

"Really?" she asked in a cold and dangerous voice.

"No?" Harry guessed. He had no idea what could have made her so angry this time.

"Harry," she snarled in a low voice and he took a step backward. "What have you been doing?"

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly, eyeing her carefully. She looked like a lion ready to pounce any second.

"This is it, Harry," she said dangerously. "I'm giving you one last chance to tell me the truth about what has been going on."

"Nothing has been going on!" Harry said fervently. He knew she would kill him if she really found out. Not to mention it wouldn't work well with the whole "let her down easy" phase.

Ginny let out an angry huff as she glared at Harry, fire burning in her eyes. She moved forward again around the back of the couch and stopped. Harry couldn't stop himself from taking another step backwards.

"Alright, that's the last straw," Ginny said threateningly. "I'm not going to take this anymore."

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"I know, Harry," she said darkly, not answering his question.

"Know?" he repeated. "Know what?"

"I know what you did," she snarled.

Harry looked at her for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to work out what she meant. Then it hit him. She knew!

"What?" he asked, panicked.

"That's right, Harry," she said angrily, "I know what you've been doing. Lying to me, _cheating_ on me, and you never admitted it!"

Harry was shocked into silence for a moment. He vaguely wondered how she had found out but a more pressing matter was pushing at his brain at the moment.

"Me?! What about you?!"

"What about me?" Ginny asked scathingly.

"You've done the exact same thing!"

"I have not. And this is not about me! You cheated on me with Draco Malfoy, of all people! What the hell were you thinking?! How could you do that?! You're not the same person I married, Harry."

Harry stared at her open-mouthed. He couldn't believe she was still denying any kind of similar activity. Didn't it affect her at all? Or maybe she was just devoid of a conscience.

"I'm not the same person you married?!" Harry repeated incredulously. "Are you kidding me?! You are just about the furthest from anything I thought I would ever marry!"

"Well, I guess it's not a problem anyway since you like blokes!"

"I guess not," Harry replied harshly. He was sick of taking all the blame all the time.

"Why did you do it, Harry?" Ginny asked angrily, determined to get an answer.

"Are you really asking me that question when you go off and sleep with some guy practically every day?!"

Ginny stared at him. She had been about to reply but stopped short as she heard what he said. He was glaring at her furiously now, daring her to deny it.

"What?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, you think I didn't know?! Oh, I know, Ginny. I've known for months. You go around accusing me of lying and cheating on you when you have been doing the exact same thing for God knows how long!"

Ginny mouthed silently. She'd had no idea that Harry knew of her affair. She had thought he was just mean spirited.

"Anything to add, Ginny?" Harry asked harshly. "Anything to defend yourself with? What was it? That I was never around, I didn't love you enough, you didn't get enough attention? What was your petty reason for ruining our marriage?!"

"You know what it was, Harry?!" Ginny yelled, finally getting her wits back as it all sunk in. "I was always pushed to the side. I'm Harry Potter's wife. That's it! No more! I stand at your side at the parties, shake hands with people I don't know then get shunted away while you're engulfed by your fawning admirers."

"Ginny, it's not like I can control that!" Harry exclaimed, surprised at her reasoning. "I didn't choose to become this, to save the world. I hate going places where that happens but it's unavoidable! You _knew_ that when we got together! You knew me for years, you saw it all during school. How could you not know it would happen?!"

"Maybe I thought it would be different," Ginny said harshly.

"Different?!" Harry exclaimed. "How would it be different _after_ I killed Voldemort?!"

He rolled his eyes angrily when she flinched at the name. He glared at her, waiting for her reply. He was so angry he could barely see through the rage. Of all the things she could have cheated on him for, something he couldn't control wasn't a reason he'd considered.

"I don't know, Harry! I just don't know!" she yelled, throwing up her arms.

"Well, what do you know?" he asked angrily.

"I know that this isn't working."

"Oh, how intuitive of you," Harry replied scathingly. Her glare became angrier still as her eyes shot daggers at him.

"But I still want to know why Malfoy, why him?!"

"Why not him?!" Harry shot back. "He's here, available. He's smart, caring, gorgeous, charming. He's just about everything I ever wanted in a person."

"Sure, he is," she replied scathingly.

"What about you?!" Harry demanded. "You're cheating as well. You don't even have the decency to tell me who it is? Draco's better than anyone you could have. He's everything you used to be. You've changed, Ginny. I don't know how I missed it, but it happened."

Ginny glared at Harry, her nostrils flaring. "Michael is a perfect gentlemen!" she exclaimed.

Harry's mouth fell open. "Michael? Corner?! You and him?! He's my teammate!"

Harry's brain was working furiously fast. He had thought Michael was gay. If he wasn't then why had Draco used him before? What was going on?

"Yes, Michael," Ginny sneered. "He's a wonderful man. He's better to me than you ever were."

"But he's gay!" Harry exclaimed.

"He is not!" Ginny yelled. "I can prove it."

"Then just how do you explain him sleeping with Draco?"

"He did not," she exerted, breathing hard. "You're lying Harry. You're trying to ruin my happiness! Michael would never do that."

"Well, he did. You can ask Draco if you really want to know," Harry sneered. He couldn't believe this was happening. Why was Michael with Ginny when he was supposed to be gay? He didn't understand it.

"Listen, Harry," she replied, her expression turning ugly. "This is pointless. We both know that however bad it gets, tomorrow it will be like it never happened. So why don't we just stop now?"

"No," Harry said simply, staring at her. "No, this is it. I can't take any of this anymore. I want a divorce."

The words rang in Ginny's ear as silence overtook the room. They stood staring at each other for a moment, neither saying anything.

Harry felt suddenly extremely relieved that the words had actually made it out of his mouth. He hadn't wanted to tell her this way but there was no other choice.

"We--we can't get a divorce," Ginny said finally, looking at Harry through disbelieving eyes.

"Oh, yes, we can!"

"No, I refuse! We can make this work!"

"You just don't want to lose my name!" Harry accused her.

She scowled but came back with a determined expression. "So what? It gets me what I want," she said harshly.

"Sorry, Ginny, but you're not gonna benefit from me anymore. We are _not_ going to make this work. We are getting a divorce, and that is final!"

Harry turned around and ducked into the bedroom just as a glass ornament sailed past his head and shattered against the wall. He slammed and locked the door, hastily putting on his shoes and grabbing his wand. He Disapparated just as he heard an enraged scream and another something breaking against the door.

OoOoO

"Pansy?" A tentative voice crept in from the front entrance way. Pansy looked up from her place on the couch where she'd been curled up reading a book.

"Ron?" she asked, looking around for the source of the voice.

Ron poked his head around the door and walked in slowly, looking like a puppy that was in deep trouble. Pansy watched him carefully as he walked around and sat down on the couch, determinedly not looking at her and sitting as far away as possible.

"What's wrong?" she asked, setting down her book and giving him her full attention.

"Y-yesterday, after I left here... I kind of did something..."

"Did what?" Pansy asked, not sure she wanted to know.

Ron took in a long breath and looked down at the floor, a worried expression on his face.

"You didn't kill anyone, did you?!" Pansy asked urgently.

Ron gave a small smile and laughed. "No, I didn't." He sighed and seemed to be preparing himself.

"Then, what did you do?" she asked again.

"Well, I was upset about what you told me," Ron said, looking up at her pleadingly. "And you told me I couldn't do anything so I went to a pub..."

Pansy watched him, her expression growing more worried. She could only imagine what Ron might have done drunk.

"And, what happened?" she asked tentatively.

"I kind of... ran into... Ginny there," he said, dragging it out. He glanced up at Pansy to find her expression nettled.

"And?" she asked, trying to understand.

"Well, I was really drunk and I accidentally... told her."

Pansy's expression rapidly changed to one of absolute shock. She stared at Ron, her mouth hanging open.

"What?" she breathed, unable to believe what she had just heard.

"I know!" Ron moaned, covering his face with his hands. "I can't believe it! And now she's gone off to kill Harry! What am I going to do?! I'm so sorry, Pansy! You shouldn't have told me! I was crazy for asking."

"I... I don't know, Ron," Pansy said, shaking her head disbelievingly. "I don't think we can do anything. I'm sure it will work itself out in the end. And don't feel too bad. Who knows, this may be a good thing."

Ron uncovered his face slowly, looking up at her. "You think so?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure, maybe, you know," she said, trying to sound upbeat while privately she agreed that he had probably brought about the next apocalypse.

"Oh, Pansy," Ron sighed, looking at her lovingly. "I'm so glad I'm marrying you."

"You should be," she said reassuringly. "Maybe now I can stop you from doing all these stupid things."

Ron laughed and moved over to where she sat, putting an arm around her and hugging her close. "We can only hope," he said simply.

Pansy smiled up at him then picked up her book again. She stared unseeingly at its pages, thinking to herself.

_I hope this all work out,_ she thought worriedly. _If it doesn't, we're all going to hell._

_

* * *

A/N: I know it's really early tonight, not quite Monday yet but we'll be driving for like 10 hours tomorrow to get home and I really don't want to do this tomorrow... So early it is! Hope you enjoyed, and as always, please review!_


	41. Undone

**Chapter Forty-one: Undone**

Pansy steeled herself and raised a hand to knock on the large front door of the house. She stepped back as she waited for it to open, looking around at the flowerbeds where tiny sprouts of green were trying to push through the still-frozen ground.

Suddenly, the door was thrown open and Pansy started in surprise. Hermione stood in the open door, looking at her curiously. Pansy rarely visited them.

"Pansy, this is a surprise," Hermione said politely, stepping back and allowing her to come inside.

Pansy smiled warmly at her and Hermione offered to take her coat. "Yes, actually, I'm looking for Blaise," she said once the coat was hung up in the closet.

"Oh, I'll go get him," Hermione said. She led Pansy into the living room then went off in another direction to a different part of the house.

Pansy stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, not sure if she should sit or not. A few moments, Blaise came in from a hallway to the left. Hermione was behind him, holding Jamie in her arms.

"Blaise," Pansy said in a relieved voice, "I need to talk to you."

He nodded and motioned for her to sit. Hermione stood awkwardly to the side, still holding her son. "I'll just go, shall I?" she asked, pointing toward the kitchen.

Pansy sighed. "No, it's probably best if you hear this too," she said. Hermione exchanged a questioning glance with Blaise before walking over to the couch and sitting down on it, resting Jamie on her knee.

"What's this about?" Blaise asked, looking at Pansy closely.

"Well," Pansy sighed. "It's Ron, or rather, something he did."

Blaise raised an eyebrow at her while Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed.

"What did he do now?" she asked tiredly.

"Alright," Pansy said, getting ready to tell them. "Okay, well, the other day Draco came to my house and we talked. Then as he was leaving, he ran into Ron. That lead Ron to ask some questions and I just had to tell him... everything."

Hermione's expression became nettled as Pansy talked, while Blaise simply looked nonplussed. He already knew this and was waiting for the hammer to drop.

"So he knows," Hermione said slowly, looking for confirmation from Pansy who nodded.

"Yes, I told him."

"Then what?" Blaise asked, wondering why she was telling him all this again.

"Well, then he got mad, of course. I made him promise not to do anything irrational, but that's difficult. He left my house and I didn't know where he went."

"Do you now?" Hermione asked carefully.

"Yes. He came back today and he, uh, told me something."

"What did he tell you?" Blaise asked impatiently, annoyed by how long she was dragging it out.

"He told Ginny," Pansy said simply.

Hermione gasped and raised a hand over her mouth in shock. Even Blaise looked surprised by the information.

"He what?!" she breathed. "When? How?"

"Apparently he went to a pub and ran into her after having far too many drinks."

"Of course," Hermione muttered, "typical Ron."

"So the Weaselette knows? That must mean she's going to kill Potter," Blaise said, looking at Pansy, who nodded yet again.

"That's what we think. I've managed to convince Ron it's not a horrible thing. I just thought you all should know. It's easier this way for everyone."

"Well, it might not be _too_ horrible," Hermione said, shrugging.

"Sure, if, by some miracle, this all works out in a good way then yeah," Blaise said sarcastically.

"At least there's nothing left for Ron to tell," Pansy said in an upbeat tone.

"Like you don't have any secrets," Blaise said skeptically and she scowled at him.

"_Anyway_," Hermione interrupted them before they could start to fight. "We need to be supportive of Harry."

"Wait," Pansy said, turning to look at her. "Aren't you friends with Ginny?"

"Yes," Hermione sighed, "but she's just been so different lately. And I've known Harry longer and I know what kind of person he is. He wouldn't have done this unless he felt he had no other alternative. Besides, he and Draco seem to work together. Much better than he and Ginny ever did."

"You know about what they're feeling?" Pansy asked suspiciously and Blaise looked between the two.

"Wait, what's going on?" he asked.

"Yeah," Hermione sighed, "Harry told me what he felt but he wasn't sure about Draco."

"What's going on?"

"Well, Draco has admitted to having feelings for Potter, so this might just be a good thing."

"Draco what?!"

"Oh, Blaise," Hermione sighed, turning to him and setting a calming hand on his leg. "Harry developed feelings for Draco. Surely you saw this coming?"

"Yes, but I just didn't want it to," he replied bitterly, and Hermione and Pansy both laughed.

"Just be happy that he's happy. You know what happens when he isn't," Pansy told him seriously.

"Yeah, yeah," Blaise muttered, still upset about the whole thing.

"Well, thank you for updating us, Pansy," Hermione said graciously.

"It was no trouble, maybe next time I'll just be able to stop Ron before it happens at all."

Hermione laughed at her and smiled. "I love that you're so optimistic," she said, grinning.

Pansy gave her a small smile and shrugged. "I have to be with him."

"Yes, you do," Hermione said, still grinning. Blaise rolled his eyes at the two of them.

"Are we done yet?" he asked sullenly.

Hermione turned to him and patted his knee reassuringly. "Yes, sweetie," she replied patronizingly. He just rolled his eyes again at her tone.

"I guess I should go," Pansy said, standing up.

"It was nice talking to you. Maybe next time you'll bring good news."

"Who said this wasn't good news?"

OoOoO

"It worked."

"Told you it would."

"I guess logic does pay off, but it wouldn't have worked without my cunning."

"Of course, my dear. Slytherin cunning coupled with Ravenclaw wit is a dangerous thing to behold."

Pansy smirked and raised her glass of wine. "To a Weaselette free life." She and Michael toasted their glasses and drank. Pansy lowered the glass and looked at Michael. "You know, when I started dating Ron, I didn't think his sister would be so evil, especially to her husband and brother. And then you came along, my little Ravenclaw. Your plan was brilliant, I admit. Break up the unhappy marriage and make my ex-husband just a little happier. In fact, I think it exceeded my expectations."

Michael smiled. "Well, Ginny hasn't changed much since school. She was always manipulative. Too bad this time she got the short end of the stick. It was easy to work my way back in. And throwing Draco and Harry together was fairly easy as well since they have a natural chemistry."

Pansy nodded. "Draco's quite easy to read and he wants what he wants. So I congratulate you, Michael, on a successful and brilliant plan."

"I'll drink to that."

OoOoO

"Harry, what are you doing here?"

Harry gave Draco a small smile as he stood on his front porch. After leaving his flat, he had Apparated straight to Draco's house. He just wanted to be free. He'd finally done what he wanted for once, something for himself.

"I did it," he said, an excited smile growing on his face. Draco looked confused for a moment, but stepped back to let Harry in the house anyway.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, following Harry into the living room.

"I told her," Harry said excitedly.

It took Draco a moment to figure out what he was saying, but when he did he was shocked. "But I thought you wanted to let her down easy," he said.

"I did," Harry sighed, sitting down on the couch. Draco walked over slowly and joined him, watching him closely.

"So what went wrong?" Draco drawled.

"She... found out about us," he said slowly.

"Oh no," Draco muttered, "she's not going to kill us, is she?"

"No," Harry said quickly, "er, at least, I don't think so... I hope not."

Draco laughed slightly at Harry, and Harry frowned.

"But anyway, I told her I want a divorce. We're getting divorced! I don't think I've ever been this happy in my life, well, except maybe when I killed Voldemort, boy, that night was crazy..."

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes as Harry rambled on, completely unaware. Draco scooted over to him.

"... then at that party afterwards, oh my god, people were _so_ drunk! I couldn't walk two feet without somebody grabbing me and I--"

He stopped abruptly as Draco grabbed his head, steering his vision back to himself. Harry looked at him nervously, wondering what he had done wrong this time.

"What?" he asked.

"You need to learn when to shut up, Potter," Draco drawled, letting go of his head but only sliding his hands down around Harry's neck.

"Sorry," Harry apologized.

"You also need to learn that you don't have to apologize for everything," Draco told him, pulling him forward and kissing him softly.

Harry melted into the kiss, allowing Draco's probing tongue to enter his mouth slowly, deepening the kiss while still keeping it light. Harry moaned into the kiss as Draco climbed into his lap for better leverage, his hands massaging the back of Harry's neck.

He pulled out of the deep kiss and moved to his neck, running his tongue over his smooth expanse, scraping his teeth along the sensitive skin, enjoying the moan he received from the willing man.

"So," Harry gasped as Draco bit down on his neck, sliding his tongue over the spot moments later. "I guess this means you haven't changed your mind?"

Draco pulled away from Harry and stared down at him. Harry looked back nervously. For a moment, Draco was silent, and then he scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Of course not, Potter," he said, leaning in and kissing Harry passionately.

"Call me Harry," Harry whispered when Draco pulled away. He opened his eyes slowly to look up at Draco through his dark eyelashes.

"Alright," Draco whispered back, leaning in close to his lips, "Harry."

Harry's grin was covered quickly by Draco's hungry kiss. He groaned as Draco's tongue lashed at his mouth, tasting every inch of the hot mouth. He nibbled on Harry's lower lip, pulling on it lightly. Harry moaned appreciatively and ran his hands under Draco's shirt and over his back.

Draco pulled out of the kiss moments later and grinned at Harry. Harry looked back at him, confused.

"What?"

"You're very lucky to be here."

"I know," Harry said seriously, "Ginny nearly hit me with that vase."

Draco only laughed at him and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

_

* * *

_


	42. Epilogue: Wedding Bells

**Chapter Forty-two: Epilogue: Wedding Bells**

"Harry, Harry, Harry!"

"What?"

"Harry, I'm gettin' married t'morrow!"

"I know, Ron."

"I'm happy!"

"I know, Ron."

"An' ya know what?"

"What, Ron?"

"You, you, you're the bes' friend a guy could have."

"I know, Ron."

"An' ya know what else?"

"What? ... Ron? Ron?! Oh crap, Pansy is going to kill me."

OoOoO

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked cheerfully, trying to suppress the grin off his face as he watched his best friend, who was standing over the sink, gripping the edges to stop himself from falling over.

"I feel like there's an elephant in my head," he moaned.

Harry laughed, and Ron glared at him. "Well, I've got something to help," he said, and Ron looked up hopefully. "Hermione lent me a potion or two in preparation for this."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a potion bottle and handed it to Ron, who downed it readily.

"Better?"

Ron shook his head and blinked hard. "Yeah, thanks, mate."

Harry moved forward and looked in the mirror with Ron, patting him on the shoulder. "You ready?"

Ron took a breath and managed a shaky smile. "Were you this nervous when you married Ginny?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I was just glad I wasn't dead."

Ron laughed and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. Harry reached for his wand and tapped Ron on the head, fixing it. "Don't do that," he warned. "Pansy spent forever trying to fix it."

Ron stared at his reflection for a moment before turning to face Harry. "Are you happy, Harry?"

Harry paused, thinking. "Yeah, Ron, I think I am."

"And you're not upset about everything that happened?"

Harry shrugged. "It all worked out for the best."

Ron laughed and turned around again, leaning toward the mirror. He paused again and looked up at Harry's reflection. "You're not going to marry Malfoy, are you?"

Harry laughed and slapped Ron on the back. He opened his mouth to respond and then paused. "And why does that matter to you?"

"Well," Ron said slowly. "I just wanted to know. I mean, you're not going to have kids, are you?"

Harry laughed again. "Well, if I was, I wouldn't tell you before my husband, would I?"

Ron looked uneasy for a second. "You're just kidding, right, Harry?"

Harry just shrugged. "I don't know. Can guys have kids?"

"No," Ron said firmly. "Er, I don't think so. But you're not, right?"

Harry just smiled and shook his head, putting his arm around Ron's shoulder and steering him to the door. "Don't worry about it, Ron."

"But, Harry—"

"Let's go get you married!"

"Harry!" Ron shouted as Harry led him outside to be wed. Harry didn't answer, just smiled mysteriously.

Secretly, he didn't know if he and Draco would get married and have kids. He liked kids, but he didn't think it was possible to have them, plus he'd rather not go through pregnancy. If they did end of wanting a child, they would adopt. As for marriage, it was too soon, though definitely not out of the question.

They walked outside to where at least a hundred chairs were set up on a large field. The warm August sun beat down overhead as Ron walked to the front where the priest stood. Harry stood beside him as the best man and smiled as he watched how nervous and excited Ron was.

He looked out into the audience, his heart jumping as he saw a platinum blond head sitting amongst the rest. Draco smirked at his boyfriend when they locked eyes momentarily.

The eye contact was broken, however, by the arrival of Pansy. She looked breathtaking in a long, white dress that trailed along the ground behind her. Everyone stood as she walked down the aisle to the traditional wedding march.

As Harry watched her procession, he couldn't help thinking that things couldn't be better. He and Ginny had finally gotten a divorce, though it had taken awhile due to her unwillingness. Harry had finally convinced her it was worth it and she had agreed, that and a few hundred-thousand galleons.

The divorce had been a messy one and the papers had pounced on it like a cat on a mouse. For a while, Harry hadn't been able to go one day without seeing his names in the paper. He hated being on display again, like he was something to be gawked at and scrutinized.

After a while, the publicity had died down, though Harry had a suspicion that Draco had something to do with it.

Ginny took all the opportunity to beat Harry as possible. She used her influence as his wife to get more press coverage, and had the honor of telling them herself who he was seeing instead. That had been a fiasco. He and Draco had been followed around for weeks with reporters documenting their every move.

Harry had the feeling they wanted the pictures more to see what was going on than making him out to be a cheating ass. It made Harry happy to think that Ginny's plan had backfired.

He had moved out of that horrible little flat and into Draco's large house in the country. They still fought but it was more of a habitual thing. Harry found that he loved Draco more than he had ever loved Ginny.

Harry was finally happy. It had been a long time since he'd felt completely free. He could come home now without the fear of a huge fight over where his shoes were, though that was partly due to the fact that the House Elves moved his shoes before he could stop them. He found he was constantly searching the house for them.

He was inclined to get rid of the House Elves, and it didn't help that Hermione was adamant about it. He intended to talk to Draco soon about it, but he knew how much he liked having them on. Harry didn't suppose it would be easy to teach Draco how to do things himself, let alone the Muggle way.

Harry was still playing Quidditch and the team was in the finals of the World Cup this year. Harry said it was all due to Draco's influence. Michael and Tara turned out to be significant assets to the team.

Michael had approached Harry sometime after Draco and he were together and explained everything; the plan to break Harry free from Ginny while helping him find someone else. Harry had been angry at first but after learning all that Michael had done, was actually quite grateful. Draco had been a bit harder to convince, but in the end, his happiness of being with Harry won out and Michael was forgiven.

Harry had heard that the "break-up" between Michael and Ginny had also involved a few things shattering against walls and the next day at practice, Harry had offered him a wet washcloth to clean the cut on his hand. Michael told Harry that Ginny had been furious with him, as was to be expected, when he basically told her he'd used her for her husband's happiness.

Harry had laughed and replied that he didn't think she would like that. Michael had agreed. He and Ginny had parted, Ginny angry and Michael relieved.

The ceremony was soon over and the reception began. Harry had wandered over to the bar to get a drink when Draco appeared by his side. He grabbed the drink out of Harry's hand, ignoring the glare he received in return.

"I want you sober for tonight," Draco said, setting the drink to the side and smirking at Harry.

Harry pouted for a moment but soon gave it up. Draco smirked at him and slid an arm around his waist, kissing him lightly.

"Don't worry, you won't regret it," he whispered, and Harry smiled.

"Hey, have some decency!"

Draco rolled his eyes and stepped back from Harry as Ron's voice cut through them. He turned around to see Ron standing behind them, a huge grin on his face.

"So how does it feel, Ron?" Harry asked, ignoring his friend's words.

"Being married? It's great! Dunno how I'm gonna like her rule of no drinking, though," he said with a slight frown, and Harry laughed at him. Draco just rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure you'll manage," Harry said reassuringly, grinning. They turned as they heard someone calling Ron from the other side of the field.

"Whoops, I have to go, the wife awaits!" He took off in the opposite direction, still grinning ear to ear.

Harry laughed as he watched Ron disappear into the crowd. Ron and Pansy had a good chance of success, he thought. They worked very well together and Harry had a suspicion that Pansy might be able to keep Ron out of trouble, though Harry wasn't sure how.

He saw how happy Ron was with Pansy as they stood together by the cake, laughing. Harry smiled and sighed happily. He knew Ron deserved this after everything.

When he and Ginny had broken up, she had gone to Ron, in tears and yelling. Ron had been forced to admit what he knew, which admittedly wasn't much. She had screamed for quite a while until Pansy had shown up and blasted her across the room. Pansy wasn't one to trifle with, Harry found out.

After that, Ginny hadn't spoken to Ron and it had been several months. She refused to be in the same room with him, which was difficult for the family. The Weasleys, however, accepted Harry as still part of their family. Harry was glad and even happier when they accepted Draco as well, though Draco said he would never do such a thing. After the initiation he received from the twins, Harry was sure he was telling the truth, but he was confident that in time, he would come to love the Weasleys as Harry did.

Harry smiled as he looked around the reception. There were so many happy couples. Beside him, Draco was only watching him. After a moment's pause, he moved closer once more, moving in to lick the shell of Harry's ear. Harry's eyes widened at Draco's action and he tried not to look suspicious. He knew Draco was trying to goad him into something and knew that Draco knew the best way to do it.

"You know, Harry," Draco whispered in his ear, his hot breath washing over it, "there's something I've always wanted to do."

Harry didn't get to find out what that was, though, as Hermione and Blaise appeared in front of them. Draco scowled at them and once more stepped back from Harry.

"Harry, isn't this just lovely?" Hermione asked, looking around at the well-decorated field. Tiny illuminated, hovering faeries flitted around the field as dusk began to fall around them.

"Yeah, it's great. Reminds me of your wedding," Harry replied, looking around him as well. Hermione smiled at him fondly, knowing that he was finally happy.

"Well, we have to go say hi to Ron and Pansy," Hermione said, noticing Blaise's growing impatience. She gave Harry an amused smile as they walked away.

Harry watched them walk away, a contemplative smile on his face. After everything that had happened, what he'd found out about Blaise's part in the whole thing, he actually had more respect for him. He decided that he wasn't as bad as he once thought. He knew they were happy and he was glad Hermione had found someone like him.

Draco sighed and turned once more to Harry. He grabbed his hand and Harry looked up at him.

"Fuck, Harry," he said, "let's just get out of here."

"We can't, they're about to throw the bouquet."

"So? Let's go now while they're distracted!"

Harry sighed but couldn't help smiling at Draco's valiant efforts to get him to leave. Draco slid his arms over Harry's shoulders and looked at him seriously.

"If you come with me now, I'll let you top," he said with a suggestive eyebrow raise. He knew Harry couldn't resist that. He rarely let him top so this was a golden opportunity.

Harry was silent for a moment as visuals played in his head. Draco smirked at him as he stood there. There was a yell and seconds later a bundle of red and white roses landed in Draco's arms.

"Let's go," Harry said, tossing the bouquet to the ground and grabbing Draco's hand, dragging him through the crowd and away.

_

* * *

_


	43. End Author's Notes

End Author's Notes (Because apparently ff cut me off last time…):

No, this isn't a new chapter, sadly. It is over (with one small exception that I'll tell about in a second). I've loved posting this fic from August to now. Coming back from work to find my inbox full of reviews was an awesome feeling. And yes, I read every one of your reviews in case you were wondering. I've seen people laugh, cry, yell at me, the characters. It's pretty cool that one story can do all that. I guess I'm just trying to say that I'm gonna miss coming home from class on Monday afternoons and knowing I have something to do other than homework, lol. This fic took up 42 weeks of our lives, the ones that have read from the beginning. I thank you all sooo much for sticking with me, even though some parts were slow and expository. And I welcome all new readers who found it in the last few weeks.

As for the end. No, I'm not planning on writing a sequel. Though I'm sure there's potential in the evil!Ginny aspect, I just don't think I can. ON the bright side, though, I have decided to write supplemental chapters, ie, scenes that should have been written but couldn't find a place in the actual fic. I will be posting these separately, and though there will be only 3 of them, I've decided to stick with Monday for those. Actually, I'm going to post them right after this, so look for them!

Whew, long author's note, but it's been a long fic. A long, arduous, finding places to post, missing chapters 'cause of badly timed Mondays and all that kind of fic. But in the end, it was all worth it. I'm so glad, you have no idea, of how much you liked this fic. I was nervous in the beginning, but I'm happy with how it turned out. And now, I will leave you. Hopefully I will find another fic I can post here. If not, you know where to find me at foreverfandom or adultfanfiction (and we all know my real penname there is roxierose13, right?) I hope so! Lol. So Thank you Sooo much for reading and following along for as long as you did. Be sure to watch out for _A Business Affair: The Supplement_ coming very soon (like in 5 minutes) if you're wondering just what happened between Ginny and Michael, and Harry and Draco. :)


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